Hope Is Taking Root on the South Coast of KZN

Photo Credit: Supplied -Oribi Farmer's Market-Siyavuna.

Growing something good, from the roots up! Micro-farming projects are creating real change in local communities in KZN.

KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, South Africa (07 August 2025) – Across the KZN South Coast, something good is growing. Community gardens and micro-farming projects are helping people feed their families, earn a living, and reconnect with the land.

These grassroots efforts are doing the slow, steady work of building food security and opportunity from the ground up. At the helm of it are everyday people who are choosing to grow hope and change.

“Projects are empowering small-scale and subsistence farmers, enhancing food security, and generating economic opportunities at a grassroots level,” explains Dr Vusumuzi Sibiya, CEO of South Coast Tourism & Investment Enterprise (SCTIE).

One shining example is Made for More Community Gardens in Amahlongwa.

In 2020, lockdown brought the Made for More sports programme to a halt. The organisation, which uses sport to empower people with disabilities, began home visits instead. What they found was a growing crisis. Many of the children they supported had lost access to school nutrition programmes and were going hungry.

“We realised the bigger need at the time was food,” says General Manager Anele Zama. “We approached corporates for food parcel donations which we delivered to homes, but knew this wasn’t a long-term solution.”

So they shifted gears. With donated seedlings and Zama’s own guidance as a community farmer, families began growing their own food. The organisation’s headquarters in Amahlongwa now has an established veggie garden, too. Families who learned to farm began selling surplus produce to the NPO, which helped sell or distribute it. In time, many became self-sustaining.

“We have limited space but are looking for investors in another greenhouse at our headquarters as there is a growing demand for fresh, organic vegetables,” says Zama. “We also continue to instruct people in farming here and can provide water for those growing their own vegetables.”

Another project worth punting is Siyavuna Abalimi Development Centre in Ramsgate.

Serving nine communities in Ray Nkonyeni and Umdoni, Siyavuna (which means “harvest” in Zulu) has been training smallholder farmers to grow chemical-free vegetables since 2008. Their support includes weekly, in-field mentorship, monthly Siyavuna Farmer Network meetings, and linking farmers to sustainable markets.

They’ve also expanded into value-adding products like dried vegetable powders, including beetroot, leek, and paprika, which offer extended shelf life and nutritional benefits without preservatives.

“We invite our local businesses and KZN South Coast communities to support our dried vegetable initiative,” says Executive Director Oxolo Langa. “These products not only extend the shelf life of vegetables but also offer remarkable health benefits, all without any added preservatives.”

Siyavuna is also exploring coffee-growing potential and other sustainable agri-ventures to build local economies.

Over in Munster, Secret Sithela is growing a herb and vegetable garden, medicinal plants, and an indigenous forest, as well as a ‘rewilded’ section that creates habitat for insects.

Owner Jeanne-Louise Kinsey has been nurturing the gardens at Secret Sithela for almost a decade since 2016. The 30-acre estate is home to an expansive organic herb and vegetable garden, a food forest that began during lockdown, and sections planted with medicinal plants. There’s also a ‘rewilded’ area for pollinators and a protected 18-acre indigenous forest with walking trails.

Secret Sithela hosts guests in four self-catering units, offers natural farming retreats like the annual ‘Farming Organic Food Festival,’ for those who want to grow their green thumbs.

“We have also helped create food gardens in rural areas such as KwaNzimakwe and KwaMoto Ayingeni,” says Kinsey. “We love offering hands-on experience of sustainable food gardening and offer a four-day ‘Natural Farming Course’ which is an introduction to permaculture based on the work of Permaculture expert John Nzira.”

The good examples don’t stop coming. Nemvelo Farm in Izotsha is another initiative worth shining the light on.

At Nemvelo Farm, it’s all about working with nature. The team has created a closed-loop system that nurtures soil health and yields chemical-free vegetables sold to the public. Their fresh produce is also on offer at The Waffle House restaurant.

Across these projects, we love that small-scale farmers, community growers, and conscious businesses are showing what’s possible when you plant a seed. Beyond the opportunity lies something even more meaningful. People are working together to build sustainability, feed their neighbours, and plant a better future.