A widow from Grasmere, a close-knit community located in the outskirts of Gauteng, turned her passion for farming into a lifeline for her children and an opportunity to create jobs for her community to alleviate hunger and poverty. 

When Thembeni Nxumalo (63) lost her husband 18 years ago, the future looked bleak. With no breadwinner and four young children to raise, she started a small backyard garden to put food on the table. 

“I used a small portion of my land to supply my kitchen. When I realized how successful the returns were, I cultivated my entire plot and started small-scale farming. I realized, with a handful of seeds and a small patch of land, no family should ever go hungry.” said Nxumalo. 

Over the years, Nxumalo suffered major setbacks and could not utilise her land to its full potential. Thanks to a chance meeting with Food and Trees for Africa (FTFA), Nxumalo secured the support and funding she needed to maximize her yields and impact. 

“I faced many challenges that prevented me from reaching my full potential as a farmer. I didn’t study agriculture. It was all trial and error for me. Lack of knowledge held me back. I didn’t have the equipment, and I didn’t know I could apply for funding. The support I received from FTFA in partnership with HSBC has allowed me to achieve in one year what I couldn’t achieve in eighteen years.” said Nxumalo. 

HSBC, through FTFA, provided Nxumalo with the funding that allowed her to expand her operations. As a result, over the past year, she has received fencing for her entire four hector plot, a 10,000-litre reservoir and irrigation system, a mobile fridge, a solar powered cold room, packaging and office equipment, computer, and supplies, fruit trees, seeds, seedlings and, most importantly, one on one mentorship and guidance on farming. 

FTFA Executive Director Christopher Wild said, “FTFA is committed to meeting the needs of farmers; not only do we link farmers to funding, but we also mentor farmers, empowering them with knowledge and practical skills for consistent production. Smallholder women farmers face many barriers limiting their potential as growers. Access to information is a major barrier: information and planning for yield, soil health, planting schedules, proactive farming practices, market access, and market prices are crucial to their success.” 

“It is important to support and grow businesses at all levels of the economy. We are very proud of this project’s impact on the Grasmere community. We were looking for a project that incorporated three primary elements: food security, enterprise, and sustainability. This is where we got in touch with FTFA as a delivery partner, who in turn put us in contact with Nxumalo. said HSBC Head of HR and Corporate Sustainability, Priya Surendra. 

“HSBC believes in doing responsible business in line with our values and as such puts environmental and social governance at the forefront of our operations. We believe that PUBLIC accountability and sustainability are an inherent part of good business, so we incorporate environmental and social sustainability throughout our global operations. In South Africa, we understand that to address sustainability linked to livelihoods and social capital, we must also address economic inequalities in the communities we serve. This project has helped us achieve exactly that,” explained Surendra. 

To address poverty and inadequate access to food in her community, Nxumalo now runs a hands-on, eight-month training programme that teaches local women and youth about farming, poultry and agribusiness. 

“Poverty is rife in my community, and I aim to continue to create jobs, food security, and to empower needy people around me. I want to encourage women and youth to actively participate in farming. It’s a business, and it’s a lifeline. We women often have the primary responsibility of feeding our children. Through farming, we can earn an income to provide adequate nutrition to our kids. Farming is an ideal way for us women to earn a living.” said Nxumalo.