By Selloane Ntshonyane
- Ngcebo Zungu, 30, trained and qualified as a nurse before leaving the profession to start a farm with just R1,500.
- His farm now includes chickens, quails, rabbits, vegetables and herbs, but his income swings from R20,000 to R500 a month.
Ngcebo Zungu, 30, finished his nursing qualification and realised he didn’t want the job. So he came home to Soweto and started a farm instead, on a plot of dirt and stones behind Shomang Primary School in Orlando West.
Zungu grew up in KwaZulu-Natal, where he used to plant vegetables with his grandmother using dried seeds saved from previous harvests. He wanted to study farming after high school, but his subject choices at school didn’t allow it, so he studied nursing instead.
When he finally returned to farming, he started his mixed farm, Embheka Mix Farming, with just R1,500 and about 2,000 cabbages.
His father, Sicelo Zungu, helped him clear the land before planting began.
“He helped his son clean and clear the space because it was dirty and full of stones,” Sicelo said.
The farm has grown well beyond cabbages. Zungu now keeps livestock alongside his crops and herbs.
“I have 75 layer chickens, 120 quails, 25 rabbits and eight exotic chickens. I also grow tomatoes, chillies, green peppers and pumpkins, which also depend on the season,” Zungu said.
He also grows herbs, including rosemary, mint, oregano, sage, coriander and lemongrass, which he sells alongside his vegetables to community members, restaurants and catering businesses.
But farming has not given him a stable income. Zungu said he can make R20,000 in a good month, dropping to as little as R500 in a bad one. Selling at a local market, held once every two months, can bring in around R500 a day, though petrol, packaging and paying people who help him quickly eat into that.
Competing with bigger farmers who can sell larger quantities at the same prices makes it harder to grow his customer base.
Despite the uncertainty, Zungu donates vegetables to underprivileged children at Shomang Primary School and Madweleni High School.
His father hopes to see the farm grow further in the years ahead.
Pictured above: Ngcebo Zungu, 30, quit nursing to pursue his dream of farming.
Image source: Selloane Ntshonyane
