KwaDukuza Boosts Youth Farming for Food Security and Jobs

In KwaDukuza, the coastal town, farming is crucial for growing the future. The agricultural sector is becoming increasingly important for supporting families, ensuring food security, and creating job opportunities. This is especially true for young people and small farmers, who form the backbone of the community. The KwaDukuza Local Municipality is actively addressing job creation and providing significant support to new farmers. In the iLembe District, nearly 30% of families rely on farming, despite an unemployment rate of approximately 30.6%. KwaZulu-Natal is rich in agricultural land, with many small farmers contributing significantly. The Port of Durban's activity highlights the connection between local efforts and the broader provincial economy.

Planting Seeds for Success: Empowering Youth in KwaDukuza Farming

Significant efforts are underway to involve young people in farming. This includes providing training, mentorship, and necessary resources for success. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (KZN DARD) is working to ensure youth participation, fostering food production and job creation through agricultural businesses. New farms are emerging, particularly around areas like the King Shaka Memorial, which symbolises the region's rich history and strong roots.

Supporting Young Farmers to Grow Businesses

Programmes such as the Young Farmers Development Programme, supported by the Siyazisiza Trust and FirstRand Empowerment Foundation, are transformative. They educate young individuals on crop cultivation and business management, offer ongoing guidance, and provide financial assistance to establish agri-businesses, such as market gardens. This enables rural youth to start or expand their farms within KwaDukuza.

The KwaDukuza Local Municipality, in collaboration with other government departments, also offers special programmes for small businesses and co-operatives. These initiatives specifically target businesses owned by young people, women, and individuals with disabilities, providing up to R50,000 for equipment. In June 2024, Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli visited Dlelaphezulu Farm in KwaDukuza, a youth-run enterprise on communal land. He expressed approval and pledged government support for its growth, including potential entry into the export market. The Premier noted that youth-owned farms like Dlelaphezulu demonstrate the significant contribution young people can make to food security, local employment, and rural economic development. He believes government support should facilitate the expansion of these new businesses, broaden their customer base, and create opportunities for other small businesses to flourish.

The KZN DARD also operates an Unemployed Agricultural Graduates Youth Programme. This programme offers funding up to R1.5 million for the 2025/26 financial year to graduates who complete it. This initiative encourages qualified young individuals to become agripreneurs, introducing new ideas, creating jobs, and boosting the economy. Additionally, the KZN DARD is recruiting unemployed graduates for its 2026–2028 Internship Recruitment Programme, a two-year paid internship offering hands-on experience and mentorship in various agricultural fields. Despite occasional Eskom load shedding in KwaZulu-Natal, these young farmers demonstrate resilience in pursuing their agricultural aspirations. Click here to learn more about youth opportunities in KwaDukuza!

Fresh Food for Everyone: Boosting Food Security and Smart Farming

Ensuring access to healthy, affordable food is a priority in KwaDukuza. There is a growing trend of urban gardens and local food production. KwaZulu-Natal faces challenges with food insecurity, with rates increasing from 12.7% in 2021 to 15.5% in 2024. In KwaDukuza, approximately 17% of households engage in farming, primarily growing vegetables and raising chickens for personal consumption, often earning less than R40,000 annually. The KwaDukuza Local Municipality recognises the need to make healthy food affordable and accessible, promoting urban food gardens and allocating land for shared farming projects.

Collaboration is essential. Government bodies, non-profit organisations, and private companies are partnering to expand these efforts, improve food distribution from farms to consumers, and create more employment. For instance, Thanda, a non-profit in rural KwaZulu-Natal, has been combating poverty and unemployment for over ten years through community farming programmes. Their Food Security and Economic Development (FSED) Initiative supports young people in establishing sustainable livelihoods through eco-friendly farming. In 2024, farmers participating in Thanda's programme collectively earned R3.6 million. Thanda plans to assist 1,350 smallholder and household farmers over the next five years, with at least 100 being young people aged 18-35. By 2030, they anticipate 20% of these farmers will operate successful businesses, increasing their production by 15% annually. By 2045, Thanda aims for 40% of its participants to be young people, growing from about 30 youth in 2024 to 250 actively earning income from farming.

The region is also adopting smarter farming techniques, including climate-friendly methods to protect the environment and ensure long-term agricultural sustainability. Small-scale farming in KwaZulu-Natal is vital for supporting food-insecure families, improving living standards, and stabilising food prices. The KZN DARD aims to promote equitable and growing farming for everyone, utilising science and technology. They are establishing household gardens, community gardens, and institutional gardens to combat food insecurity.

Provincial Support: Investing in KwaDukuza Farmers

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government is fully committed to assisting small-scale farmers in transitioning to successful commercial enterprises. Programmes provide machinery, improved infrastructure, and expert advice. In April 2024, former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube launched the Integrated Agricultural Development Programme. This initiative supplied 1,128 tractors, valued at R17 million, and other farming tools to small-scale farmers. It also includes mentorship and training on machinery usage, helping farming groups achieve self-sufficiency. This support significantly contributes to realising agricultural aspirations.

Food security is a primary concern for KwaZulu-Natal. The provincial government is working to open markets for farmers through the Radical Agrarian Socio-Economic Transformation (IRASET) Programme. Premier Ntuli stated in February 2026 that farming is essential to the province's economy and communities, contributing to livelihoods, growth, and equitable benefits. The provincial government is also revitalising neglected government-owned farms and increasing support for land reform farms across KwaZulu-Natal. For example, kwaNodumo and Njoli farms in the Ugu District each received R1.9 million for supplies, infrastructure, and technical assistance. This demonstrates a concerted effort to foster agricultural development and community prosperity in KwaDukuza and the wider province.

-- Originally published on PR Daddy (https://prdaddy.com).