When Nomvuyo Tantala asked young people from her church to help her start a food garden in 2020, she says they quickly dismissed the idea when they learnt they wouldn’t get paid.
But undeterred, Ms Tantala, 48, last year established the Ukuphumla Garden at Vukukhanye Primary School, in Gugulethu, and she now grows seasonal veg.
Ms Tantala says she pays from her own pocket to run her garden, but she doesn’t sell the produce. Instead, she barters the veggies for empty tins, paper, plastic bags and other recyclable waste, and, in so doing, helps to tackle two big problems at the same time: hunger and pollution.
Her hope with the garden is to revive the spirit of ubuntu and share what she has in order to get what she doesn’t have, recalling the bartering system from a time long gone, she says.
Another aim, she says, it to encourage people to look after their environment and their community.
“Food businesses offer immense opportunities for social enterprises,” she says. “They should not solely focus on profit but rather on the value they bring to their community, whether it’s on a social, environmental, or spiritual level. Food insecurity plagues many townships in South Africa, but I firmly believe that no one needs to go hungry.
“Bartering, a practice deeply rooted in our African identity, can be a powerful tool for addressing both malnutrition and waste.”
Ms Tantala, who also mentors young female entrepreneurs from Oribi’s Girls in Business programme, now hopes to expand the garden, utilising recycled materials for furniture and art and starting more farming initiatives to benefit her community.
She says she believes in nurturing self-respect and the township’s community assets to foster a sense of belonging and connection among residents.