Inner-city rooftop farming
‘hola harvest’
Azure Janneker
SAB and partners look to making farming more attractive to youth in addressing
challenges of unemployment and food security
S
AB and AB InBev Africa has introduced
its first group of ‘urban farmers’
in Johannesburg’s inner-city and
surrounds with the installation of three
200m2 rooftop farms, facilitated by its youth
entrepreneurship programme, SAB KickStart,
in partnership with the City of Joburg, the
Department of Small Business Development
(DSBD) and the Small Enterprise Development
Agency (SEDA).
The farms, situated at the top of 1 Fox Street
in Braamfontein and at Outreach Foundation
in Hillbrow, are run by 7 young agri-
entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and
35. They are Sibusiso Mahlangu (Outsauce Pty
Ltd); Sibongile Cele (Mcebo Unlimited Wealth
Pty Ltd), Fezile Msomi (Hazile Group Pty Ltd);
Puseletso Mamogale (Midi Agricultural Farm);
Khaya Maloney (Afri-Leap Pty Lt); Siyabonga
Mngoma (Abundance Wholesome Foods) and
Themba Baladzi (Rutegang Agricycling Co-op).
The Rooftop Farms are supported by a
newly formed brand called “Hola Harvest”,
under which they produce a wide range
of fresh produce such as leafy vegetables,
strawberries, chillies, violli flowers. The
produce will be sold to restaurants and local
communities around Johannesburg Central
and the profits will go to the entrepreneurs
themselves to assist them in managing their
businesses. In addition, the farms have
opened up opportunities for three agro-
processors to run enterprises based on the
produce that they convert into condiments
and sauces.
AgriKultuur |AgriCulture
The Urban Agriculture Project forms part
of SAB and AB InBev’s Public Interest
Commitments made to the South African
government in which the organisation
invests R1-billion into economic stimulus
and societal benefit programmes. The
organisation has committed to invest
R610-million into Agriculture, R200-million
into Entrepreneurship and R190-million is
earmarked for societal benefit programmes.
Of this, approximately R2 200 000 will go
towards growing Urban Agriculture and the
‘urban farmers’ needed to support this.
SAB and AB InBev join a number of
organizations globally, that see opportunities
in restricted spatial areas such as city centre
building roof spaces to farm a vast variety of
produce that will be sold to local markets.
“SAB looks to innovative ways to help tackle
youth unemployment effectively in South
Africa. The Urban Agriculture initiative is one
such initiative, which involves commercial
hydronic farming. This initiative closely aligns
technology and food security, as well as
consumer education to facilitate job creation
amongst young unemployed graduates.
“Global ecological challenges present
opportunities for intrepid entrepreneurs to
develop innovative solutions, which not only
address the problem facing the sustainability
of our earth and the survival of its people
but assists the drive towards creating helps
to create much-needed jobs. Through
this project, we are also demystifying the
misconceptions of agriculture by making
40