"It Can Solve Unemployment": Soweto Graduate Facing Unemployment Builds Backyard Farm Without Soil

• Katiso Nkoanyane graduated in Agricultural Management in 2016 but could not find work in South Africa's tough job market
• With no land and no employment, the Soweto man turned to hydroponic farming in his own backyard
• His venture, Green Life Farming, shows how 500 square metres can replace the need for traditional farmland

Katiso Nkoanyane had a degree and a dream. What he did not have was a job or a piece of land to call his own. After completing his Agricultural Management qualification in 2016, the Emndeni, Soweto, resident found himself locked out of South Africa's job market. For a man who had studied to work the land, not having access to any land felt like a dead end. But Nkoanyane refused to walk away from farming.

He turned to hydroponics, a method of growing crops in a soilless system using nutrient-rich water. With just 500 square metres in his backyard, he built Green Life Farming from the ground up, producing high yields while using far less water and space than conventional agriculture.

Read also

“1-hour tea breaks”: Gent shares why he would not hire South Africans for certain jobs

Farming Without a Field

Hydroponic systems work by delivering water and nutrients directly to plant roots, which means crops can grow faster and in tighter spaces. For township residents who do not own large plots of land, this approach opens a door that traditional farming keeps firmly shut.

Nkoanyane's story shared on KasiEconomy resonated widely because it speaks to a reality many young South African graduates face: qualifications that lead nowhere in a market that cannot absorb them. Rather than wait for an opportunity that never came, he created one in his own yard. His venture has since drawn attention as an example of what is possible when education meets ingenuity, even without government support or inherited land. See the post below:

SA applauds farmer

South Africans on social media were quick to respond to the story shared by @KasiEconomy:

@mleiks_dla wrote:

"Yet, we have politicians, especially those in government, talking about land redistribution. A whole graduate in agriculture struggling for a piece of land to pursue farming, something which would have created employment, is a disgrace for the government."

Read also

South Africans slam Gareth Cliff for his remarks about JHB

@AHMasterlego said:

"Imagine having skyscrapers with these farms in, let's say, Durban, that could solve unemployment since it's a basic job, it's close to shops and low transport expenses. I hope he has a successful business."

@Enock48446291 added:

"I am proud of you, Soweto. I assure you, this is lucrative business, but if only we work together not in silos."

@baffana_m shared:

"Well done. Imagine if the whole community pursued the same idea. Nobody will get hungry in our communities."

@Ratshilumella noted:

"The ability to work for yourself, instead of waiting to be employed, should be the main objective of education."

@Barbara15632214 said:

"Oh yes this is what God wanted us to do, thumbs up my brother. What a blessing."

@east_lesle47801 added:

"Well done! Brilliant, innovative initiative."

Other Briefly News stories about jobs

• A South African farmer's struggle with local workers who allegedly refused to show up for their shifts, prompting a debate over wages and working conditions.
• Details about a TikTok creator's countdown of the five university degrees tied to the lowest starting salaries for graduates in South Africa, revealing surprising figures that sparked a lively debate online.
• A controversial post by South African Twitter user Meshack Bevhula, which ignited a fervent discussion regarding the adequacy of salaries below R17,000 in today's economy.

Source: Briefly News