As South Africa celebrates Mother’s Day, women across the agricultural landscape are redefining motherhood by nurturing more than just their own; they are cultivating the soil, empowering their communities, and passing down vital farming knowledge to ensure the land’s legacy lives on for the next generation.
Across the country, these established farmers have become mothers of the land, opening their gates to upcoming growers, unemployed women, and local youth. For them, farming is not a private business to be kept in the family; it is a communal responsibility to ensure that no one is left behind.
Teaching the village to feed itself
For Bongi Nzama, founder of Mbali the Village, today is a reflection of the open-door policy she inherited from her late mother, Nomali. Her mother’s lesson was simple: the soil must feed anyone who passes by. Today, Nzama has scaled that lesson into a structured system of mentorship.
“We run an informal garden for unemployed women and mothers. We invite seasoned women in the community to assist them on how to plant, and we pay them for the work done,” Nzama says. “Our motto is: ‘Each one teach one.’ If I show you how to plant, you must show your neighbour. That’s how knowledge multiplies.”
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Nzama is also turning her feeding scheme into a classroom for the village’s children. “The children who come for breakfast will help us water, weed, and harvest on weekends. When they eat soup from fresh vegetables we grew together, they will understand the link between soil and survival.
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“If you lose the mother in a village, you lose half the farming knowledge in that village. We are going all out to make sure they are taken care of and given the knowledge to grow their own food,” she explains.
Community hero
The transfer of knowledge is often a selfless act, as seen in the work of Nothando Mthiyani. Her dedication was recognised on the national stage when she received an award at the 2025 South African Agricultural Awards in the Unsung Hero category. Since 2010, she has worked tirelessly, motivating children and her community to embrace the soil without expecting a pay cheque.
“My main job is to motivate children to love planting and look for funding for them. I just help the community so that they can use their hands, because truly our economy is on the soil,” she says.
Bridging the generational gap
In the Western Cape, Sheena Paulus, founder of Tri Toad Nursery, is using her commercial seedling business to bridge the gap between generations. While she is building a legacy for her three daughters, her mission extends to the women and youth she employs in Philippi.
“Knowledge-sharing is deeply embedded in how we operate. One of the most special parts of our nursery is Ma Yoli, who is 75 years old and still works with us every day. She trains others, works the land, and continues to experiment alongside us. That blend of youth, experience, and shared learning creates something truly powerful.
“I believe mothers play one of the most important roles in keeping farming knowledge alive. Their influence shapes not only what the next generation knows, but how they understand their relationship with the land,” Paulus says.
This drive to professionalise community farming is shared by Babalwa Hopa, CEO of Impact Dynasty and founding partner of the MMX Foundation. Hopa has volunteered her time to teach the community how to run food gardens in public spaces and is now helping them move into the formal value chain.
“I volunteered to start groups and teach the community how to run food gardens. I told them to look for schools and public places where space was available, and they are now doing so well.
“Every woman is born with the gift of multiplication. We are taking the community back to regenerative agriculture, which is very welcoming to those who want to be at the forefront of farming and passing down knowledge,” Hopa says.
Turning setbacks into mentorship
The transition from student to mentor often comes from personal hardship. Nonkululeko Ximba, a goat dairy farmer from Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, known as “uMama we mbuzi,” uses her past struggles to guide others.
“I started livestock farming in 2022 with just 10 goats, but early on, I faced setbacks as the goats fell ill due to my limited knowledge.
“Producing organic food is a long-term reward for their health,” she says. Today, she ensures her son is present for every business decision, from buying seeds to managing livestock.
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