TVET colleges put agriculture at the heart of student development

South Africa’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges are going green and culinary with the official launch of three flagship initiatives aimed at tackling food insecurity, creating new skills pathways, and inspiring young people to see agriculture as a tool for opportunity.

The initiatives, recently launched at a South African Agricultural Awards (SAAA) event, include the One TVET, One Garden campaign, the AAD Rising Chef competition, and the Legacy Creator Awards. Together, they seek to teach students to grow food, connect practical agriculture with culinary innovation, and celebrate leadership in the skills revolution.

Keynote speaker Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, deputy minister of higher education, underlined the urgency of the programme, reminding attendees that nearly a third of South African households are food insecure.

Tackling national hunger crisis

“About 6.5 million South Africans experience hunger every day, and among them are our students. No student should ever have to choose between education and survival. The One TVET, One Garden initiative is born out of this urgency, to feed our students and to nurture young talent while they are still young,” she said.

Dube-Ncube emphasised that agriculture should be seen not just as a way to produce food, but also as a source of dignity, justice, and wealth creation. She stressed the need for young people to recognise the value of the soil, to view farming as modern and appealing, and to position TVET colleges as the primary choice for developing future leaders.

“This is not just about cultivating vegetables. It’s about cultivating dignity, cultivating young minds, and cultivating justice. Together, we must turn our TVET campuses into green campuses of the future,” she said.

Turning idle land into green campuses

Tebogo Kekana, acting CEO of SAPCO, highlighted the practical side of the campaign. “By establishing gardens in every TVET college, we are teaching students that agriculture is not only about cultivating the land but also about cultivating opportunity.

“We want students to have fun. Whether they are electricians or chefs, they must know how to grow a tomato,” Kekana said.

The culinary aspect comes in through the AAD Rising Chef competition, which will see students showcasing their cooking skills from the local to the national level. Complementary workshops in baking and cooking will also be rolled out across TVET colleges.

Renowned chef Andile Somdaka, who is also a farmer, told the audience that the initiative is about reversing the “brainwashing” that distances young people from the soil.

“Many young people think food comes from supermarkets. One TVET, One Garden is about unlearning that. From the ground comes food, comes money, comes wealth. Let us make farming fashionable and fun, not a punishment,” he urged.

Somdaka stressed that linking farming and cooking empowers students with a holistic understanding of the food system, from soil to plate, while encouraging healthier eating and entrepreneurial thinking.