Academics with green fingers . . . Zim men create thriving farm on ‘useless’ land in SA Albert Zinhanga examines part of the vegetable crop on the 1 500-hectare farm he and his partners are leasing in Malmesbury, Cape Town. INSET BELOW: Some of the maize grown by the farmers.
Albert Zinhanga examines part of the vegetable crop on the 1 500-hectare farm he and his partners are leasing in Malmesbury, Cape Town. INSET BELOW:  Some of the maize grown by the farmers.

Albert Zinhanga examines part of the vegetable crop on the 1 500-hectare farm he and his partners are leasing in Malmesbury, Cape Town. INSET BELOW: Some of the maize grown by the farmers.

Tariro Washinyira Correspondent
Cape Town. – Five Zimbabwean men have been successfully growing crops on land abandoned as unprofitable in Malmesbury. The landowner, N7 Meat, gave up farming crops on the land, claiming losses of over R1 million, GroundUp reports.

Albert Zinhanga and four friends met the landowner when buying an ox for slaughter at N7 Meat in 2014. Noticing fallow land, they asked why it was unutilised. The farmer said it was unprofitable and if the Zimbabweans refused to believe him, he said they could try and farm it for free for a year. They could use his farming equipment and only pay for electricity.

He bet them they could not make a go of it.

According to Zinhanga, a teacher of African languages at Cravenby High School in Parow, the farmer was told it would cost R300 000 to correct the pH of the soil. He didn’t want to invest further and continued concentrating on rearing sheep, cattle and pigs elsewhere on his farm.

Zinhanga has four partners; one has a doctorate in agriculture, the others have degrees in physics, science and engineering.

“We never dreamt or even thought that one day we will be farmers,” said Zinhanga. “We were just a group of academics driving around buying farm products.”

The five men tested the soil and the water and it seemed good to them, albeit sandy. To counter this, they say they watered continuously before planting any crops. They planted three hectares in all, with tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach and maize.

Neighbouring farmers, watching the developments, came to them and gave advice. They also introduced the men to Cape Town Epping Market to sell their produce.

When the maize crop ripened, the surrounding farmers were stunned. They said they had never seen such big stalks, says Zinhanga.

The Zimbabweans say the secret is to use cow dung and not to rely solely on fertiliser.

After the initial success, the farm owner offered them the land at a rental of R1 200 per hectare.

They now farm 15 hectares and have also started growing a leaf vegetable called tsunga. They call themselves the N7 Farmers, but as they all have full-time jobs, they work the farm on Saturdays and Sundays and during the week take turns after work.

They have six employees. The farm manager is Malawian. Four general workers are South Africans and there is one Zimbabwean. During planting and harvesting time, they hire 20 part-time workers on Saturdays.

Zinhanga and his team were announced winners in the small business of the year award category on April 2 at the Cape Town Zimbabwe Excellence Gala Dinner Awards Ceremony 2016 at Kelvin Grove, Newlands.

Below are some of the 82 remarks posted before News24 closed comments for the article:

Jaco De Villiers: What a feel good story! Remarkable, because the ground in the Swartland area is really not great at retaining water. Well done to them! There is a old saying in the Swartland . . . “ons het dalk nie goeie grond nie, maar ons het agtergrond”.

Misheck Bigman Nzombe: Keep it up guys you representing our flag

Coert Welman: Well done sir! This is an example to follow. Beautiful part of the world as well.

Nolisindiso Jonas: This is a good lesson. The other farmers did not moan and groan. They worked together with the farmers and even asked for advice. In normal SA the one farmer will just criticise from the sideline.

Raymond Gomo: Sons of the soil.

Concerned: Well done gentlemen. I know what it’s like to start a business from nothing. There’s no better feeling than growing on each small success. Congratulations. May you thrive and prosper. You deserve it.

Chrono Man: Fantastic story. Congratulations N7 Farmers!!!

DSrezz Didi: You have proven to the world that there is no such a thing as impossible.

Darren McLuckie: Education, enterprise and hard work equals success. Well done.

Robert Blackie: That is super!!! Now that can be an example for the rest, WORK for what you want in life. Handouts is for the useless . . .Get up and sort your own future.

Maca De Klerk: Well done!!! It shows that hard work and shared knowledge can achieve great things. Also that most people will lend a hand and advice when they see people who are willing to work and make a success of something while people who only rise themselves enough to demand handouts are mostly ignored. Rather teach the people to fish for themselves instead of handing them food and see the amount of people needing food grow steadily because of population growth. The economy can’t keep up with THAT AND corruption.

Carl Dreyer: Outstanding!

Roger Spurge: Yet another story that highlights the plight of SA. Easier to let someone else take the initiative, do the work, and take the reward. Can only congratulate all five of them.

Lydia Zinhanga: Well done my brothers, to my handsome brother Albert, you are a real son of my father and mother, my role model. Keep it up guys

Tinti Eric: That’s what we call a good story to tell.

Lloyd Gardner: What a bunch of legends!!! Well done guys!

Mutambu Enock Bryron: Zimbabweans have never failed in SA. Well done guyz.

Andrew Hannay: ! Amazing work against all odds! Proud!

Star Milton: Wow! I love reading this kind of positive news! Well done gentlemen and may the Lord bless and prosper you. I once grew the best veggies using the compost made from horse manure, chicken droppings and sawdust!

Suren Gobindram: Can’t wait for Lindiwe Zulu to demand of them to share their secret for their success. Well done.

Danet Vosloo: This story makes me feel happy. Well done and I’m so glad they getting the recognition they deserve.

Rene Ferreira: This is fantastic! I take my hat off to these gentlemen and the way they do their farming using organic fertiliser instead of harmful chemicals. Well done guys!

Alastair Stuart: Great initiative, the glaring issue is why it takes Zimbabweans and Malawians to seize it. May this new colonisation continue for Africa’s sake and for the locals need as we need jobs.

Brian Singh: What a good story. Very similar to mine where I have taken unskilled and uneducated youth from the E.Cape and made them into skilled workers on panel beating and carpentry. The problem is that our government does not pay attention to these successes and do not see the need to assist. I now have to train more youth for free but at my cost. The nice thing is that these youth are now earning a good income and have become self-sufficient. They don’t have to rely on government handouts.

Carly Simelane: Well done guys u inspired me . . . im in your footsteps, determination, vision, focus, commitment, all combined gives good results. Well done guys.

Mark Peter Krivoshik: Well done! Hard work and hope, not governments and old ideas, will feed the world! God Blesses a good heart!

Manesh Supal: Zimbabwe’s President Mugabe insisted that Zimbabweans be well educated. Well done to these men. They serve as an example to our people in SA

Nick Collis: Educated professionals getting their hands dirty and getting the job done . . . fantastic story which highlights the need for quality education in South Africa!

Masedi Seja: Good work guys . . . please help fellow citizens whom are lazy but have being given land but not utilising it.

Vesta Kudakwashe Mashizha: Thanks to the owner of the farm who allowed the N7 Farmers to show their home skills. Zimbabwe is a farming nation and has taught its people to till the land and survive. Thanks also to the workers on the farm and those who gave unwavering support to the N7 Farmers. Spread the ideas to other sections of the South African society. Keep it up guys

Gerhard Olivier: Congratulations and well done! Hope a lot of other people will learn from your success story.

Expat Komentz: Cannot agree with you more Nick, education the key but just as important, actually doing the business instead of complaining how you been hard done by the past and present. Really well done and thanks for the good story N24

Granty Parnty: Now this is an awesome story. Now if only we can copy and paste this idea throughout this country. Just imagine.

Mpho C. Mulaudzi: Let the people who got farms that are not being used give some to these guys/

Coral Gail Vorster: Well done Zimbabweans. Show our lot in South Africa how its done!!! Zimbabweans are well educated. Well done to these men. They serve as an example to our people in SA.

Kulumani Chikomo: To the farmer who allowed these guys to farm ,you are a leader and may your business be filled with blessings, to my fellow Zimbos , “tora badza urime” (grab the hoe and till the land ), we need to feed families.

Coral Gail Vorster: Well done Zimbabweans. Show our lot in South Africa how its done!!!Zimbabweans are well educated. Well done to these men. They serve as an example to our people in SA.

 The article was originally published in GroundUp. All pictures, courtsey News24.Com/GroundUp

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