Know someone running a food-focused green project in Cape Town? Grow SA’s 2025 Learnership is looking for its next intake of eco-changemakers.
Cape Town, South Africa (08 August 2025) – The green economy isn’t just a buzzword anymore, it’s a growing, tangible path to jobs, community impact, and environmental change. And right now, the Grow SA team is looking for the next wave of changemakers to join their fully-funded, hands-on learnership programme in Cape Town.
If you or someone you know has started a food-focused garden, farm, or green business and dreams of taking it further, this might just be the opportunity that transforms everything.
The Grow SA Learnership Programme, created by Ian Dommisse in partnership with the V&A Waterfront, has become a springboard for emerging eco-entrepreneurs since its launch in 2021. What started as a response to the pandemic has now nurtured four cohorts of participants, offering real-world training, mentorship, and a growing community of green heroes.
“Thanks to the V&A’s support, the programme runs like a scholarship, participants don’t pay to take part,” explains Ian. “We’re just looking for passionate people making a difference in their communities, and we help grow that impact.”
What to expect
The programme is six months long, structured to allow participants to continue running their own projects while attending sessions no more than two days a week. Training takes place across more than 15 venues in Cape Town and surrounding farming areas, with central meeting points to keep things accessible.
From composting and food waste upcycling to urban farming and community kitchen training, Grow SA’s ‘learn by doing’ approach means every day in the programme is rooted in real experience. Participants also benefit from one-on-one mentorship, coaching, and site visits to 19 inspiring green businesses.
And the results speak for themselves. In the most recent cohort:
- 5 out of 8 participants landed part-time jobs through internships
- 75% started or expanded edible gardens
- 62% grew and shared/sold surplus food
- Every participant significantly reduced their community’s waste footprint
Graduates become part of the Grow SA Alumni, a network of like-minded changemakers who continue learning, collaborating, and inspiring one another long after the programme ends.
Who should apply?
- Anyone living in Cape Town or the surrounding areas
- Individuals at least 20 years old (no matric required)
- Able-bodied people with at least one year of experience in a food-focused green initiative (exceptions made with strong references)
- Passionate about social and environmental impact
Applications for the 2025 intake have been extended to the end of August, so there’s still time to apply, or to nominate someone you know who’s doing incredible work under the radar. You can apply here.
This might not be the kind of programme that guarantees a job at the end, but it guarantees growth. Personal. Practical. Planet-positive.
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