By Vateka Halile
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 he was wasting seeds. Lucky for him, that spinach grew and was enjoyed by his family and shared with his neighbours.
“As a boy growing up in the village, playing with the soil was part of the games we played as kids,” said Zethembe. He says there are many creative things to be done with the soil. Growing up, he and his friends loved working. While playing, they would mould towers, homes and bridges made from the mud. This led Zethembe to grow food. “At the time, I just loved the beauty of plants, not realising that they had such great value to human nutrition and the country’s economy.”
An option of choice
Zethembe was born in Ixopo, in the village of Umkhomazi, KwaZulu-Natal.
He says he wanted to become a teacher, but financial circumstances at home did not allow this, so he worked in various supermarkets after matric. “During the first Covid-19 lockdown, I was retrenched from my job as a merchandiser.” He returned to his home in Ixopo and that is when 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 them at least twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon.” Zethembe sells his produce to local stores and villagers. “I deliver twice as much now as I used to because my produce sells like hot cakes.”
The good and the bad side of farming
With climate change and water scarcity in South Africa, Zethembe says it is even worse in Ixopo. He travels three kilometres to collect water using a wheelbarrow. “The only time I rest is when it rains,” he says. Another challenge Zethembe has to face since he started his business, is pests that wreak havoc in his garden. To mitigate this, Zethembe has sought 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 of the scarecrows. I did that, and it works well.”
He believes 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 is a mixture of coffee and water that I spray early in the morning before the sun comes up and it has worked well.”
Gardening saves money
Food gardens can unlock endless possibilities for the unemployed youth, says Zethembe.
“The most important thing about being your own boss is coming to terms with the fact that your plans are in your own hands. Even if they are good, it is up to you how you implement them. That allows you to focus and make good decisions.” Zethembe produces cabbage and spinach and says 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 diet as 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 starts somewhere.” Zethembe’s plan is to approach local supermarkets, but transportation and a lack of space are some of his challenges. – foodformzansi.co.za
