Bold decision pays off for 23-yr-old farmer

Flora Fadzai Sibanda, [email protected]

SEVEN years ago, 23-year-old Mr Khoselihle Mdlongwa from Bulawayo’s Woodville suburb made a life-changing decision when he decided to take a gap year after high school to explore farming.

What started as a small backyard project has now grown into a thriving horticulture business, earning him over US$1 000 per week.

What was initially meant to be a short break before university became a passion-driven journey. At just 16, Mr Mdlongwa convinced his father to lend him start-up capital, despite initial scepticism. With determination and self-taught skills, he ventured into greenhouse farming, growing peppers, tomatoes, and green peas on a one-acre plot.

Now a final-year Peace, Governance, and Humanitarian Studies student at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU), Mr Mdlongwa seamlessly juggles academics and his flourishing agribusiness.

“I harvest 40 crates of tomatoes weekly, selling each at US$22, and I produce a tonne of peppers every week, which also brings in good money,” he said.

Surprisingly, he never attended any formal agricultural training, instead relying on online platforms to learn farming techniques.

“After finishing my A-level at Kyle College in Masvingo, I told my father I wanted a gap year to figure out my future. During that time, I started a small backyard garden, and to my surprise, the produce was excellent. That encouraged me to expand,” he said.

Seeing his son’s passion, Mr Mdlongwa’s father eventually agreed to fund his greenhouse project using the money that was initially set aside for university tuition.

“It was during that time that I started venturing into small-scale gardening in our backyard. Surprisingly, the produce came out perfectly and this prompted me to consider utilising more land. I then asked my father to give me the money he was supposed to pay for my fees and luckily enough he was supportive and gave me the capital to set up the greenhouses,” said Mr Mdlongwa.

Greenhouse farming has proven to be a game-changer for Mr Mdlongwa, allowing him to grow crops all year round with minimal environmental impact. Unlike traditional farming, greenhouses provide climate control, reduce pollution, conserve resources, and enhance productivity.

“One of the biggest advantages is that greenhouses extend the growing season. Since they trap heat, I can grow crops even in colder months,” he explained.

At the moment, Mr Mdlongwa employs six people, creating jobs while contributing to food production.
“Balancing school and farming is manageable. It just means I don’t have as much time for socialising as I’d like. When school is in session, I make sure to return home every weekend to oversee operations,” he said.

To ensure financial stability, Mr Mdlongwa follows a structured budgeting plan.
“To make sure that finances do not trouble us, I always make sure that the first week in a month all the sales we make go towards paying wages, the second week is for buying pesticides while the third and fourth week is for retaining profits,” he said.

Mr Mdlongwa plans to acquire more land and scale up production, solidifying his place in the country’s agribusiness sector and contributing to national food security.–@flora_sibanda