A technology-driven farmer with a passion for transferring skills and knowledge, Zandile Khumalo wants to inspire other young people to venture into agritech because that is where the future lies.
Khumalo farms hydroponically on the rooftop of the Morningside Shopping Centre in Gauteng. She intends to make this new trend of farming fashionable among township-based farmers.
Her love for developing young farmers in using technology cannot be replaced by anything, she says.
Born and bred in Midvaal in Gauteng, Khumalo farms with salad lettuces, baby spinach, spring onion, tomatoes, and basil.
A keen learner
Khumalo, a graduate with a diploma in analytical chemistry from Vaal University of Technology (VUT), developed an interest in hydroponics and researched how she could enter the space.
In 2015, she received training in hydroponics through the Agricultural Research Council and did business training at North-West University. This year she graduated from the Gordon Institute of Business Science school with a certificate in entrepreneurship.
“My interest in agriculture led me to a project with We Cultivate Africa where I was a quality analyst for bamboo and indigenous plants. I then became an accredited carbon sequestration footprint analyst and spearheaded the research and development department for bamboo,” she explains.
In 2017, through her research in hydroponics, she started her first company called HyHarvest and erected a hydroponic farm at VUT. In the same year at Science and Technology Business Park, she shared her knowledge and skills with surrounding township schools.
Khumalo formed a partnership with Flanagan and Gerard to build a smart agritech hydroponic farm on the rooftop of Morningside Shopping Centre in 2020.
Breaking barriers
She says being a young woman in the agricultural space is tough but rewarding too. According to Khumalo, the older generation of farmers tend to undermine the skills and experience of a young person.
“To overcome these challenges, we must simply rise above the challenges and keep on breaking the barriers. I am proud to be part of a new generation of young farmers who are working to change to bring innovation in the agritech sector.”
Khumalo adds while there are many other advantages of rooftop farming, her biggest win is that her market is a stone’s throw away. “I supply all my produce to the restaurants at Morningside Shopping Centre. I grow the vegetables on the shopping centre roof and supply directly to the centre with zero emissions as I walk down the stairs to make my deliveries.”
Educating fellow young people on hydroponics farming is close to her heart, Khumalo says, and her goal is to get financial support to build more greenhouses.
Getting youngsters on board
“The expansion of the farm would allow my company to create jobs and a learning platform for our upcoming youth who wish to learn about smart agritech.”
Khumalo adds that if young people could learn about advantages of hydroponics as it is a new trend of farming, it would woo more youth to enter the sector.
“I get to grow vegetables all year round. Normally, cold climates with chilly winter temperatures and shorter day lengths prohibit plant growth. With a hydroponics system plants can be grown hydroponically year-round because the grower controls the temperature, light and nutrient supply.
“These technologies bring new and exciting sectors that youth are interested in, like learning about drones or designing a glass greenhouse that controls climates for the plant to grow at its best. Those are some of the things youngsters are attracted to learn about.”
Consider the costs and power supply
She says while there were great advantages to hydroponics farming, like not needing to use much water or have much land, there are also disadvantages that need to be taken into consideration when embarking on such a journey.
“There are high start-up costs compared to a traditional farm, and a hydroponics system is more expensive to acquire and build.
“Costs range depending upon the type and size of the system purchased, and whether it is prefabricated or built with individual components to create a customised design.”
Khumalo adds that power cuts are one of the disadvantages that could make hydroponics farming not enjoyable.
“Both passive and active hydroponics systems depend on electricity to power the different components such as grow lights, water pumps, aerators and fans. Therefore, a power outage will affect the entire system,” she cautions.
ALSO READ: Hydroponics: Here’s what you need to know
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