• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
Kwanda Nyanzeka is a go-to source for a new generation of farmers. Photo: Supplied/Kwanda

Young farmers ‘should harness power of social media’

28th Dec 2021
Langeberg & Ashton Foods buildings and yards line a significant stretch of Ashton’s main road. Jacobus de Koker isn’t permanently employed but says he has been working at the factory for years. Photo: Elana van der Watt/Food For Mzansi

‘Our town will be a dead town’

25th Jun 2022
Potatoes SA recently led a roundtable discussion on the state of South Africa's fresh produce markets, which need urgent attention. Photo: Supplied/RSA Group

Fresh produce markets ‘at tipping point’

25th Jun 2022
A recent Gather to Grow session hosted by Food For Mzansi featured; plant pathologist, Diana Mngomezulu, animal scientist Thabiso Maenetje, Free State cattle farmer Annalea Van Niekerk, Agri SA chief agricultural economist Kulani Siweya, Plant scientist Henry Basson, agri- horticulturalist Vuyokazi Mtshazi, and farmer Thabo Skhosana. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer 101: ‘We need farmers that are forward-thinking’

24th Jun 2022
Thailand farmers are now feeding cannabis to their chickens. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Holy smokes! Cannabis in chicken feed?

24th Jun 2022
David Mthombeni is building an agriculture empire for his family.Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer gets his hands dirty while building family empire

24th Jun 2022
The State Capture commission made a range of recommendations to prevent corrupt projects like the Estina Vrede Dairy Farm project in future. Image: Food For Mzansi

Vrede Dairy Farm: Heads must roll, say farmers

24th Jun 2022
Archive photo. A R180-million investment by a major poultry producer in North West signals progress by the province to lure investors, says its premier. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

R180m. investment ‘shows progress in North West’

24th Jun 2022
First batch of smallholder farmers who have successfully completed hands-on training on potato production with their mentor Dr Lerato Matsaunyane. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

North West welcomes newly trained potato farmers

23rd Jun 2022
World Bank has launched an insurance for Kenyan farmers that starts coverage at KES 50 per month. Photo: Supplied/World Bank

Affordable weather insurance for Kenyan farmers

23rd Jun 2022
FMD: Farmers who notice symptoms of foot and mouth disease in their livestock should report it to local veterinarians as soon as possible. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

FMD outbreaks in Free State, Gauteng contained

23rd Jun 2022
Justice Raymond Zondo released the final chapters of his report into state capture last night (Wednesday, 22 June 2022). Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

ICYMI: Zondo releases report on Vrede Dairy Project

23rd Jun 2022
Vuyokazi Makapela, a director at Afrivet, Zamo Shongwe, Buhle Farmer’s Academy’s, finance and business director, Free State farmer Buchule Jack, Liviwe Finca, the founder of Amafemvula, and Justin Dziruni of Zazo Boergoats. Photo:Supplied/Foodf For Mzansi

Podcast: Here’s how to control and prevent rabies

22nd Jun 2022
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
11 GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS
Sat, Jun 25, 2022
Food For Mzansi
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
    • All
    • AgriCareers
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Farmers
    • Groundbreakers
    • Innovators
    • Inspiration
    • It Takes a Village
    • Mentors
    • Movers and Shakers
    • Partnerships
    David Mthombeni is building an agriculture empire for his family.Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farmer gets his hands dirty while building family empire

    Gauteng farmers give youth a leg-up in agriculture

    Women in farming give youth a leg up in agriculture

    Watch out, these young farmers are on fire!

    Watch out, these young farmers are on fire!

    Unati Speirs has vast experience in agri-business strategy and business funding and was recently appointed as a new board director for Hortgro. Photos: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Youngest Hortgro hotshot takes transformation to heart

    Prof Kennedy Mnisi a dedicated young man who wants to help livestock farmers with animal health education to prevent diseases. Picture. Supplied/ Food For Mzansi.

    Animal scientist works hard to earn top dog status

    Eastern Cape grain farmer Sinelizwi Fakade told Cyril Ramaphosa that limited access to funding continued to constrain young farmers. The president vowed to return to the province to fully engage with issues raised. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Ramaphosa vows to address challenges faced by young farmers

    Meet SA’s young stars taking agritech to the next level

    Meet SA’s young stars taking agritech to the next level

    Lochner Eksteen, Bayanda Maseko and Ian Cunningham: three young people making their living from farming in Mzansi. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Young and farming in Mzansi: The joys and hard truths

    Annita Mutoni is a young poultry farmer in Rwanda, and is finding her stride within the industry. Photo: Supplied/FoodForAfrika.com

    Rwandan poultry farmer follows in father’s footsteps

  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
No Result
View All Result
Food For Mzansi

Young farmers ‘should harness power of social media’

Harnessing social media in agriculture has turned Kwanda Nyanzeka into a go-to source for a new generation of farmers. We meet the man behind the popular Facebook group, and find out how young farmers are using Facebook, YouTube and other channels to grow their agricultural enterprises

by Zolani Sinxo
28th Dec 2021
in Farmer's Inside Track, Farmers
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
Kwanda Nyanzeka is a go-to source for a new generation of farmers. Photo: Supplied/Kwanda

Kwanda Nyanzeka is a go-to source for a new generation of farmers. Photo: Supplied/Kwanda

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Harnessing social media in agriculture has transformed Kwanda Nyanzeka into a go-to source for a new generation of farmers. His Facebook group, Agriculture & Young, has close to 40 000 people just three months since it was established.

The 24-year-old Nyanzeka hails from Ntabankulu in the Eastern Cape. Despite having a law degree, he is most passionate about farming.

He tells Food For Mzansi, “I wanted to document the stories of small-scale farmers, especially in rural areas, on my YouTube channel so that young people would have a dedicated, online platform that would inspire and teach them farming. I was also inspired by Wode Maya, a Ghananian YouTuber who covers amazing stories in Africa and changes the world’s perception.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Zolani Sinxo: So, your family farmed with cattle, chickens and vegetable crops. But let’s chat about the relationship between agriculture and social media, especially to reach young people. How did it all start and why farming, specifically?

Kwanda Nyanzeka: I want to change the perception that only old and uneducated people can farm. I want to prove that young people can be farmers too, if they wanted to. For example, I have a law degree and I am passionate about farming because farming is life.

I’ve also noticed that [many] young farmers fail due to a lack of entrepreneurial skills. Using the platforms that I have created, my aim is to develop small-scale farmers to also be entrepreneurs. Through Agriculture & Young, we assist them to register their businesses with CIPC. We also share funding information on our YouTube channel and successful entrepreneurs share lessons that could assist young farmers.

Kwanda Nyanzeka is a go-to source for a new generation of farmers. Photo: Supplied: Food for Mzansi.

Do you really believe that social media can attract young people to farming?

Social media is a powerful tool when utilised correctly. It plays a huge role in influencing young people to do things. They tend to be interested in things that are popularised in social media. When I created an agriculture Facebook group three months ago, over 35 000 members joined. Most of them were young people who recently took an interest in agriculture. This proves that social media is a big influencer in this regard.

What do these farmers tell you about the greatest challenges they face?

There are many challenges that young farmers face. The biggest is access to land, capital and markets. On the other hand, there are young people in rural areas that have farming land, but they are not using it because there is no access to water, and drilling boreholes are expensive. Also, many young people want to start farming but the issue of capital is preventing them. I, therefore, encourage young people to start with what they have and gradually grow while learning in the process.

The issue of access to markets is another challenge. For example, a young farmer from Limpopo was telling me that he produces spinach and doesn’t have a market to sell his produce. Local stores only buy small quantities, leaving him with too much produce going to waste. I think by showcasing their work on my social platforms, businesses and buyers can see the wonderful work they are doing.

Food For Mzansi represents the new face of South African agriculture. We believe that our future food security depends on the efforts of a new generation. Is this a view you share?

Yes, many young people are starting to take interest in agriculture. I think of a farmer from Bizana, Eastern Cape who started farming during the [Covid-19] lockdown in 2020. He now supplies Spar and Boxer stores. I had an interview with him on my YouTube channel and the video now has over 5 000 views.

The interview also got recognition from celebrity chef Siba Mtongana. She posted on her Instagram and Facebook pages and encouraged her followers to watch the interview. The link to the video is now available on her website. The interview also got recognition from Makwande Gcora, the founder of Makwande Chemicals who has 27 000 followers on LinkedIn. When celebrities and influencers share the stories of farmers using social media, young people start to take an interest.

What is the impact of social media on agriculture today?

Social media has a positive role in agricultural marketing. The use of blogs, microblogs, [Facebook] pages and groups have a positive impact. It allows young farmers to build communities where they share knowledge and skills. It saves time and cost for the farmers to get information.

YouTube videos are also used to get information about farming. For example, a rooftop farmer, Khaya Maloney who is a founder of Afrileap, shared that he got all the information about hydroponics from YouTube.

ADVERTISEMENT

WhatsApp is also a useful platform. Farmers create groups where they share information related to agriculture and sell their produce to potential customers. Furthermore, agriculture government officials such as ministers also have their pages, blogs, and channels that help people with information.

However, older farmers are finding it challenging to adopt social media as a tool of marketing. Some farmers are less trusting when it comes to e-buying and e-selling of agricultural commodities on social media.

ALSO READ: Former football star scores winning goal in farming

Sign up for Mzansi Today: Your daily take on the news and happenings from the agriculture value chain.

Tags: digital strategies for farmersMarketingtechnology and agriculture
Share196Tweet123Send
Zolani Sinxo

Zolani Sinxo

Zolani is an award-winning journalist and holds a National Diploma and a B Tech in journalism, he is a journalist at heart with a particular interest in developmental journalism, politics, African development stories, environment, and global and national current affairs. He started to develop an interest in writing and storytelling at a young age after he co-authored a folk tales children’s book in 2005 titled Our Stories, Amabali Ethu. After graduating, Zolani worked at various government institutions where he worked in the marketing and communication departments specialising in media liaison and editorial management. His passion for developmental journalism saw him being a co-founder of a community newspaper in Stellenbosch, Umlambo News. He has also worked for the Group Editors as a journalist for the George Herald and is also the editor of Idinga community newspaper. Zolani loves books, especially on Africa’s politics, history, stories, and biographies of African leaders who have made a significate contribution to the continent’s socio-economic wellbeing.

Related Posts

A recent Gather to Grow session hosted by Food For Mzansi featured; plant pathologist, Diana Mngomezulu, animal scientist Thabiso Maenetje, Free State cattle farmer Annalea Van Niekerk, Agri SA chief agricultural economist Kulani Siweya, Plant scientist Henry Basson, agri- horticulturalist Vuyokazi Mtshazi, and farmer Thabo Skhosana. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer 101: ‘We need farmers that are forward-thinking’

by Vateka Halile
24th Jun 2022
0

FARMER'S INSIDE TRACK: Onwards and upwards. This captured the mood during a recent Gather To Grow session in which agri...

In this week's Gather To Grows twitter session, PJ Phiri, aquaponics horticulturalist and Michele Carelse, founder of feelgood health unpack with hosts Gugulethu Mahlangu and Dawn Noemdoe the 101 on farming for new farmers. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

This week’s agriculture events: 23 to 27 May 2022

by Vateka Halile
23rd May 2022
0

This week's events calendar features an agriculture and food technology session, followed by another on agribusiness profitability strategy. Other highlights...

Future-focused farmers will have to embrace technology and upskill their labour force to produce food profitably, believes Dr Kobus Laubscher, a Health SQUARED economist and strategist. Photo: Getty Images

‘Embrace the fourth industrial revolution or lose out’

by Tiisetso Manoko
10th Mar 2022
0

Experts speaking at Grain SA's recent annual congress urged farmers to move closer to technology without delay. “Without making a...

Farmer 101: Starting to farm without money is possible

Farmer 101: Starting to farm without money is possible

by Terri-Ann Brouwers
4th Feb 2022
0

On Gather To Grow, the experts discuss how new farmers can start their agri dreams on an empty pocket.

Thailand farmers are now feeding cannabis to their chickens. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
Weird & Wonderful

Holy smokes! Cannabis in chicken feed?

by Zolani Sinxo
24th Jun 2022
0

WEIRD & WONDERFUL: A Thai farmer has ruffled plenty of feathers by claiming that cannabis acts as an immunity booster...

Read more
David Mthombeni is building an agriculture empire for his family.Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer gets his hands dirty while building family empire

24th Jun 2022
The State Capture commission made a range of recommendations to prevent corrupt projects like the Estina Vrede Dairy Farm project in future. Image: Food For Mzansi

Vrede Dairy Farm: Heads must roll, say farmers

24th Jun 2022
Archive photo. A R180-million investment by a major poultry producer in North West signals progress by the province to lure investors, says its premier. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

R180m. investment ‘shows progress in North West’

24th Jun 2022
First batch of smallholder farmers who have successfully completed hands-on training on potato production with their mentor Dr Lerato Matsaunyane. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

North West welcomes newly trained potato farmers

23rd Jun 2022

Manopole gives biggest budget slice to farmer support

Why human-honeyguide cooperation must be preserved

Women in farming give youth a leg up in agriculture

Weekend podcast: Progress on the poultry master plan

R180m. investment ‘shows progress in North West’

Agbiz congress: Hopes are high for industry solutions

THE NEW FACE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

With 11 global awards in the first three years of its existence, Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication. It is a movement, unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

‘Our town will be a dead town’

Fresh produce markets ‘at tipping point’

Farmer 101: ‘We need farmers that are forward-thinking’

Holy smokes! Cannabis in chicken feed?

Farmer gets his hands dirty while building family empire

Vrede Dairy Farm: Heads must roll, say farmers

  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright

Contact us
Office: +27 21 879 1824
WhatsApp line: +27 81 889 9032
Marketing: +27 71 147 0388
News: info@foodformzansi.co.za
Advertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought

Copyright © 2021 Food for Mzansi

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Go to mobile version