New Pilot Backs Youth-Owned Micro-Farming Start-Ups to Tackle Jobs Crisis and Food Insecurity
South Africa’s ongoing battle with youth unemployment and food insecurity has sparked a new wave of innovation aimed at solving both challenges at once. A pioneering pilot programme launched in Diepsloot is now empowering unemployed young people to become micro-farming entrepreneurs through sustainable agritech solutions.
The initiative, spearheaded by Afrika Tikkun and funded by E Squared Investments, is positioning small-scale smart farming as a practical pathway for youth employment, entrepreneurship and long-term food security.
Launched this week at Afrika Tikkun’s Green Acres Farm in Diepsloot, the Green Acres Hydro-Coop programme is supporting a cohort of 20 young participants — including 19 women and one young man living with a disability — as they build and operate their own income-generating farming businesses.
At the heart of the programme is the Hydro-Coop unit, an innovative smart farming system that combines poultry farming with hydroponic vegetable production. Designed for urban, rural and remote environments with limited infrastructure, the solar-powered units are compact, mobile and highly water-efficient compared to traditional farming methods.
The system uses sustainable, biodiversity-friendly farming practices while giving participants access to cutting-edge agricultural and entrepreneurial skills.
From Training to Business Ownership
The pilot officially began in February, with participants entering an intensive development phase that combines practical training with real business operations. Over the past three months, the cohort has undergone programmes focused on hydroponics, entrepreneurship and farm management while simultaneously launching their own micro-enterprises.
Rather than simply offering temporary employment opportunities, the programme is intentionally designed around business ownership and sustainable income generation.
Afrika Tikkun has partnered with Garden Fresh at Nine Yards, Johannesburg’s new green town square, along with additional retail outlets, to create direct market access for the produce. Participants will gain first-hand experience in customer service and retail operations while selling vegetables and poultry products from a customer-focused retail space.
If the pilot reaches its production goals, the 20 youth-owned enterprises are projected to generate annually:
- 22,400 chickens
- 60,000 vegetables
- Approximately 228,000 meals
- Up to 1.5 million litres in water savings
Marc Lubner, Group CEO of Afrika Tikkun, believes the programme demonstrates how agriculture can evolve into a viable long-term career path for young people.
“When skills development is combined with long-term mentorship, farming stops being just a chore and becomes a sustainable career. These youth aren’t just farming for today; they are building the businesses of tomorrow, and it’s up to us to make sure that path remains accessible for them,”.
says Lubner
Women Leading the Future of Agriculture
The programme’s first intake was intentionally structured as an almost entirely female cohort, recognising the economic barriers many young women face in accessing employment opportunities, business ownership and startup funding.
Lubner says the initiative aims to directly address these inequalities by creating pathways into entrepreneurship and economic participation.
“Agriculture can be a powerful engine for jobs, entrepreneurship and community growth. By giving young people access to infrastructure, practical training and market opportunities, we are helping them build viable businesses and long-term income. At the same time, we are strengthening local food security and creating a model that can be scaled to reach many more young people in the years ahead,”.
he adds
Building a Scalable Agripreneurship Model
The Green Acres Hydro-Coop programme forms part of Afrika Tikkun’s broader agricultural development initiatives, which combine skills training, enterprise development and commercial operations to transform learning into income-generating opportunities.
Lubner says agripreneurship has become a critical lifeline for unemployed youth.
“One of the programme’s key goals is to create entrepreneurs through Afrika Tikkun’s Cradle to Career model, helping young people transition from unemployment into business ownership,”.
he explains
One success story already emerging from the organisation’s agricultural programmes is Debra Dagada, who completed an NQF Level 2 qualification in Plant Production through Afrika Tikkun’s learnership programme in Gauteng.
After graduating, Dagada launched her own farming enterprise through Green Acres with access to starter resources, mentorship and technical support. She later secured land at Northern Farm in Diepsloot, successfully transitioning from trainee to independent farmer.
UrbanFarm Africa, the agritech service provider supporting the initiative, says it has already implemented 271 smart farming projects across South Africa, trained more than 7,500 people and helped participating farmers generate R250 million over five years.
Zakiya Khan, Head of Investments: Social Entrepreneurship at E Squared, says the programme stands out because it prioritises long-term economic inclusion.
“We believe in backing solutions that are both practical and enduring. What stands out in this model is its focus on enabling young people to participate meaningfully in the economy, not just through skills development, but through ownership and the ability to generate income over time,”.
says Khan
With plans already underway to introduce another cohort of 20 participants in 2027, Afrika Tikkun hopes to scale the model into more communities across South Africa — creating a new generation of agripreneurs while helping address the country’s growing food security challenges.
