Zethembe Shezi still remembers the day he decided to plant spinach in his father’s garden. He was just 11 and got the scolding of his life from his mother who thought that he was wasting seeds. Lucky for him that spinach grew and was enjoyed by his family and even shared with his neighbours.
“As a boy growing up in the villages, playing with the soil was part of the games, along with other games, and I enjoyed it.”
Shezi says that there are many creative things you can do with soil. Growing up, he and his friends loved soil so much that they would mould towers, homes and bridges made from mud. This love of soil led him to grow food, he believes.
“At the time, I just loved the beauty of plants, not realising they had such great value to human nutrition and the country’s economy.”
An option of choice
Shezi was born in Ixopo, in the village of Umkhomazi in KwaZulu-Natal.
He says that he wanted to become a teacher, but financial circumstances did not allow this, so he worked in numerous supermarkets just after he matriculated. “During the first lockdown due to Covid-19, I was retrenched from my job as a merchandiser.”
He returned to his home Ixopo and the idea to grow food came to life.
“I bought spinach seeds and put them in the ground like I used to do. I watered at least twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon.”
Shezi sells his produce to local stores and villagers. “I am actually delivering twice as much now as I used to because the market is fast and selling like hot cakes.”
The good and the bad side of farming
With climate change and water scarcity in South Africa, Shezi says it’s even worse in Ixopo. He travels three kilometres to collect water in a wheelbarrow. “The only time I can rest is when it rains,” he says.
Another challenge he has faced since he started his business, is pests that wreak havoc in his garden, Shezi adds. To mitigate this struggle, he has asked advice from farmers in the area.
“My mother and other farmers advised me to create scarecrows. That worked brilliantly, but only for a while. Birds came back, and the scarecrows did not work – until I figured out on my own that I needed to change the colour of the clothes and the location. That’s what I did, and it now works well.”
He believes that the KwaZulu-Natal weather is what attracts pests to his garden. “To get rid of the insects, I use a coffee mixture – thanks to social media farming groups for this tip. It’s a mixture of coffee and water that I spray early in the morning before the sun comes into the garden, and it’s worked very well.”
Gardening saves money
Food gardens can unlock endless possibilities for unemployed youth, says Shezi.
“The most important thing about being your own boss, is to come to terms with the fact that your plans are in your own hands. Even if they are good, it’s up to you how you implement them. That allows you to focus and make good decisions.”
Shezi produces cabbage and spinach and says that these veggies require less maintenance and can be grown all year round. Spinach and cabbage are in demand in his community, and are a staple because they are affordable greens.
“One of the things in the pipeline is irrigation and livestock. I see my business trading internationally one day, and I believe everything has its start.”
Shezi plans to approach local supermarkets, but the problems of transportation and the lack of space are still a challenge at the moment.
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