For years, buying fresh vegetables meant another expense that 51-year-old Zandile Shinga simply could not afford.
Today, the mother from ePlazini near Mtwalume in KwaZulu-Natal harvests much of her family’s food from her own backyard. Better still, when her crops produce more than her household needs, she sells the surplus to neighbours.
In one week alone, she earned R1 250 from selling green peppers and chillies.
“Farming has helped me become independent,” says Shinga. “The garden feeds my family, and when I have extra produce to sell, I can earn money for things my daughter needs, like school uniforms and stationery. It has made a real difference in our home.”
Her story comes at a time when many South African households are struggling to keep up with rising living costs.
Food inflation, unemployment and stagnant incomes continue to place enormous pressure on family budgets, prompting growing interest in home food production as a practical way to improve food security while creating small income opportunities.
Shinga joined the Household Gardening Programme run by community-based non-profit organisation Thanda in 2023.
Based in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Thanda works alongside communities to build long-term resilience through programmes focused on early childhood development, child and youth development, and food security and economic development.
The organisation’s household gardening initiative equips families with regenerative farming skills that enable them to grow nutritious food using affordable, sustainable methods.
Rather than relying on expensive agricultural inputs, participants learn practical techniques such as composting, mulching, seed saving and natural pest management.
These skills have already paid off for Shinga. When pests recently threatened her crops, she did not have to buy chemical pesticides. Instead, she used organic methods, including sawdust and chilli-based treatments, that she learnt through the programme.
Angela Larkan, executive director and co-founder of Thanda, says home gardens have become much more than a way to grow vegetables.
“Too often, food gardens are viewed solely through an agricultural lens, but their impact is entirely social and economic,” she says.
“When a household grows its own food, they are no longer entirely dependent on cash to survive an unstable economy. At-home food production, whether in a rural homestead or a small container garden, offers a practical way to reclaim agency.”
Food security starts at home
The household gardening programme was launched in 2022 in response to growing concerns about food insecurity in vulnerable communities.
According to Thanda, when household income can no longer cover the cost of a nutritious food basket, families often cut back first on the quality and diversity of what they eat.
This can have serious consequences for children’s health and development, particularly during pregnancy and the first 1 000 days of life.
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Larkan says ensuring children receive adequate nutrition starts long before they reach school age.
“Prevention begins long before a child enters a classroom,“ she says.
“When households have steady access to diverse, nutritious foods, they are better able to support healthy pregnancies and early childhood development. But when household budgets stretch to the limit, families often have zero room left to absorb market shocks. Home-grown food is no longer a hobby; it is a critical necessity for survival.“
The programme has since trained more than 650 household gardeners, with participants also learning how to grow protein-rich foods alongside vegetables to improve dietary diversity and strengthen household resilience.
For Thanda, the work extends beyond helping families produce food. By combining practical skills with community development, the organisation aims to strengthen livelihoods, improve nutrition and create pathways out of poverty that can be sustained for generations.
Six simple ways to start your own food garden
Thinking about growing your own food? Thanda recommends these practical steps:
- Start with easy, high-yield crops such as spinach, beans, tomatoes and chillies.
- Build healthy soil by composting kitchen scraps and garden waste.
- Apply mulch, including grass clippings or dry leaves, to retain moisture and reduce water use.
- Save seeds from healthy plants for the next growing season.
- Manage pests naturally using homemade chilli sprays or ash barriers.
- If space is limited, grow vegetables in containers, old tyres or other recycled containers.
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