The National Development Agency (NDA) has joined forces with SABC Education for the production of 13 episodes of the popular Living Land programme, screened weekly on SABC2.
In line with its government mandate to contribute to the eradication of poverty and its causes in South Africa, the NDA has voiced its appreciation for the sustained efforts of Living Land to educate emerging and smallholder farmers and to uplift rural communities in our country.
“For more than a decade Living Land has made an invaluable contribution towards inspiring black farmers to return to the land and to create wealth for our rural communities by applying proven modern agricultural techniques. Our new partnership will ensure that the NDA helps to build more cohesive communities that are able to tackle the triple threat of poverty, unemployment, and inequality,” says Thamo Mzobe, CEO of the NDA.
South Africa has roughly 2,5 million emerging farmers who are largely excluded from the mainstream agricultural economy. They face many challenges including land issues, access to finance and diverse production modes which make their survival difficult in the modern agricultural arena. The government wants the agriculture sector, especially smallholder farming, to contribute to the creation of around one million jobs.
Currently in its eleventh consecutive series, Living Land traditionally features all things agricultural in South Africa, with special focus on smallholders and emerging farmers, as well as rural development throughout the country.
The new series sheds light on a host of exciting new applicable technological advances in agriculture and specifically features exciting opportunities for young viewers – not only in farming but also in associated activities like agro-processing, marketing, engineering, and research. The series also takes a long, hard look at land reform from a practical standpoint and gets the views and experiences of the people that really matter – the farmers.
SABC Commissioning Editor Cookie Mona says the collaborative partnership with the NDA serves the goals and objectives of both organisations. “By pooling resources with worthy development initiatives, we can deliver more value to this important cause. SABC Education is committed to playing a leading role in informing and uplifting farmers especially in our country’s rural areas. International research shows that the active development of a country’s agricultural sector has a much greater potential to create jobs and boost the economy than any other sector,” she explained.
With lack of food security becoming more of a threat, new innovations in agriculture are providing encouraging solutions. We visit an organisation called Urban Agriculture that aims to stimulate job creation by attracting predominantly black small and medium-sized businesses to agriculture. By integrating technology-based systems and processes, these farming companies produce high-quality crops in urban settings like rooftop gardens.
Food production in urban environments is becoming more prevalent as our burgeoning population demands more efficient food supply. We visit Urban Grown, an impressive vegetable production farm in Diepsloot, near Johannesburg, which started out in 2015. It’s a huge advantage to farm close to where your products are consumed. All their markets are within a 50-kilometre radius, ensuring lower transport costs and fresher produce. We also get valuable advice from the experts at the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market.
In this episode, we discover how three former students are making the transition from studying at agricultural college to practical farming on a real farm. Thanks to the vision of an uncle who inspired them in their youth, they are now living their dream of earning a living from the soil. Two brothers, Sello and Ncinani, both graduates of the Glen Agricultural College in Free State Province, were fortunate enough to find a landowner near Bloemfontein in need of someone with agricultural knowledge to turn the land into a profit-earning farm. Naturally, the siblings couldn’t wait to try out their knowledge and skill. Sello mainly produces vegetables like spinach, beetroot and green peppers, while Ncinani runs a successful piggery. Ncinani’s wife Thandi is also a full partner in the business which, despite many trials and challenges, is steadily growing. To the extent that the farm prospers, the three partners are creating more and more job opportunities for others; an aspect that they are fully aware of and rightfully proud of their achievements so far.
Owning your own farm and realising a dream to make a good living from the soil is not as far-fetched as you may think. We follow the life journeys of Siyabonga Nxumalo and Senzo Mzobe, two ambitious young men who joined forces to achieve this dream. Today they are successful livestock farmers who grow their own feed for their cattle on highly productive land near Kokstad in KwaZulu-Natal. After initially leasing land and proving their worth as farmers, Siya and Senzo applied for government assistance to buy their own land.
In this episode, we cast the spotlight on young, enthusiastic livestock farmers who are making their way in this competitive environment despite the many risks and difficulties associated with this type of business. Our first stop is on a farm near Senekal in the Free State where we meet the affable Desmond Mofokeng. This area was particularly hard-hit during the devastating drought of 2015. In spite of severe stock losses, this farm is now back on track due to expert management and sheer hard work. Next up we visit a likeable couple raising a variety of farm animals on communal land, just outside Welkom. Their resources are restricted because they have to share whatever grazing land is available. They must use every bit of agricultural knowledge and business skill they possess to make it work. Remarkably, Kwekwe Tuswa and his partner Mpho Mifi produce top quality pork, beef, wool, mutton and goat’s meat by expertly fattening their animals with a special feed to augment the limited grazing opportunities.
Successful farmers adapt continually to the latest trends in agricultural business strategies and technology. Robert Khumalo, a passionate livestock farmer near Mooi River in KZN shows us how he manages his impressive cattle herd. The innovative spray dipping facility on his farm, for example, is much gentler on his animals than the conventional plunge dip method. We also visit the Bekker High School near Magaliesburg in Gauteng. This school offers an optional farming curriculum from grade 8 onwards, which has drawn many students into the fascinating world of agriculture.
Making the most of your circumstances is something that most good farmers know how to do very well. In this episode, we visit two farms run by families in the eastern Free State, and in both cases this principle is beautifully illustrated. Living Land visited the Zoopjesfontein farm in the Senekal district back in 2012 and so were quite interested to see how the Sekhoto’s family business has progressed over the years. Dineo met up with Nono Sekhoto, who takes care of the finances. She explained that the business was doing exceptionally well, especially after the family had made a few telling strategic decisions. Still in the eastern Free State, we had the privilege of visiting another remarkable place called Lion’s Rest. This relatively small farm on the outskirts of a little town called Tweeling, boasts a high calibre guest house, a game farm including a lion breeding programme, as well as one of the most impressive, hi-tech, automated egg layer systems we have ever seen. In many ways, this is a model farm. It’s advantages are exploited to the full and there is very little wastage. Every component is designed or adapted to complement the others.
Today’s young farmers are smart enough to know that success in modern agriculture relies on the best information gleaned from the latest scientific research. We visit a group of five young people who’ve formed a successful cooperative called Umzamo Wethu in eNgwelezane in KZN. These clever farmers, who have been assisted by the NDA, a government development agency, employ the latest technology in their vegetable tunnels. We also take a look at the many exciting careers available to young people involving scientific research in agriculture. Combining our country’s vast wealth of natural resources with scientific know-how is already opening up many exciting opportunities for young people in the agricultural space.
Like so many other families in the rural areas across our country, the members of the Mthethwa family have pooled their resources to give their farm the best chance of becoming a successful business. Of course, this is important because strong families are the building blocks of strong communities. Mr Remember Mthethwa’s farm is in the Dannhauser area, between Dundee and Newcastle in northern KwaZulu-Natal. While he takes responsibility for the crop production on the farm, his children are very much involved in the other aspects of this mixed farm – his two sons, Sabatha and Sphamandla, manage the livestock production. His charming daughter, Letiwe, is adept at taking care of administrative and bookkeeping duties, although she is not afraid to do anything the boys can do, including driving a tractor. Agricultural families like this one are often the pillars of society in rural areas, forming the backbone of strong farming communities.
In this episode we visit an impressive young lady farmer by the name of Koketso Moloko, on her farm in a place called Molote, which is in a remote area about 45 kilometres west of Magaliesburg in the North West province. The Moloko family has been farming here since 1994, and when her dad passed away Koketso decided to take charge of the farm – that’s why she calls herself the “accidental farmer”. Her notable education includes a Bachelors degree in Economics, an Honours degree in Business Management and several farming courses. So, instead of building a lucrative career as a financial executive in the city, this smart young woman came back to the family farm which she now runs like a well-oiled business. This mixed farming operation includes a crop production side, a piggery and a sheep farming aspect. Koketso shows us that agriculture is not just about knowing what to do and how to do it. Planning and budgeting is just as important.
Smallholder farmer Pophi Raletjena from the Blouberg district in Limpopo started out growing cabbages on a half-hectare plot 20 years ago.
