In 2016, a group of determined community members in the Eastern Cape came together to create something powerful: Intambanana Farming and Multi-Purpose Co-op. At the heart of it was Ntombezayo Hele, their chairperson, who knew her community in Khayelitsha township in East London was struggling. Poverty loomed and many families survived on social grants, but it simply was not enough.
Part of Hele’s solution was small garden plots. However, individual home gardens soon transformed into a communal effort.
“Illegal dumping sites, malnutrition, high unemployment rate, and the need to travel long distances just to buy fresh food were issues to consider.”
To address this, they first started garden projects with seven community members. However, one has since passed away.
Intambanana began its journey with a grant of R25 000 from the department of social development. According to Hele, the funds were used to support their initial garden project, which included purchasing seedlings, water tanks, and garden tools. Although the land is fenced, Hele says they still need razor wire to prevent food theft.
Since then, the group has expanded to two gardens on land borrowed from the municipality.
“We are very excited; things have improved,” says Hele.
However, she points out a significant challenge.
“The land belongs to the municipality, and if they ever need it, we will have to give it back. It would be better if we could get land that is allocated specifically for farming.”
The second garden is on a site earmarked for RDP houses, meaning they will need to relocate or cease operations once that project begins.
Farming practices
Intambanana practices crop rotation in one of their gardens, growing maize, beans, butternut, pumpkins, and potatoes. The second garden is dedicated to cabbage, spinach, beetroot, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, spring onions, shallots, and other crops.
“We have established a good market with many international clients, especially Zimbabweans, for our dry bean produce,” says Hele.
They also have a steady customer base, including Walter Sisulu University staff, local residents, and community-based customers.
The group has structured its operations with each member handling specific responsibilities. Ntombezayo Hele manages sales records, Noyise Hele oversees community services, Sindiswa Maguma organises community meetings and attendance, and Neziswa Moshesh is responsible for marketing.
Additionally, Yanga Cosa supervises production planning, while Mzukisi Maguma takes care of asset management, ensuring tool security and record-keeping.
Hele explains that they use organic farming methods, including dry grass for mulching and intercropping to boost growth and control pests. They fertilise with kraal manure, compost, and mulch, and use natural pesticides made from onions and herbs.
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Profits are split, and seasonal workers are occasionally hired. Hele notes that adding more farming commodities is challenging due to funding and land constraints.
Expanding horizons
Among the challenges, Hele notes that food theft is an issue in Khayelitsha. Other issues include natural disasters, lack of transportation to sell their produce, insufficient funds, and water shortages.
“We sometimes go weeks without water, and this is a huge loss for the business.”
A tractor would also go a long way to helping the group. “We rely on manual labour instead of using tractors, which is difficult in itself,” Hele explains.
The group is looking to expand their operations to include additional farming commodities and transportation and an irrigation system would significantly enhance their ability to produce high-quality crops.
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