BY Nkosazana Ngwadla
Mandisa Matenjwa, 23, has hands that can transform any garden, and make it beautiful and serene. Growing up Empangeni in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province, Mandisa has always had a keen interest in agriculture, anyone looking for her as a child would find her in her grandmother’s garden, tending to it with absolute precision and care.
After passing her Grade 12 studies with very good grades (she was always an A+ student), Mandisa went on to pursue her Agriculture Degree at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, where she graduated in 2020.
“I was always interested in gardening and saw the importance of planting your own food from a very age. The decision to study agriculture was because I wanted to know more than just the upkeep of a garden,” Mandisa explains.
In 2021, Mandisa was awarded an internship at one of the biggest public trading retail companies in South Africa, Mr. Price headquarters in Durban. “I worked as an intern at Mr. Price the whole of 2021, where I took care of the garden. After they saw my dedication and passion for the garden, I was then offered the position to become the Agri-business manager – which means I’m responsible for buying the seeds, planting, pruning and just taking care of the garden. With the produce, I sell it to other employees, the canteen and restaurants,” she says.
“Mr. Price also helped me register my business, so the profit I make from selling produce helps my business. When I’m not working the Mr. Price garden, I offer consultation services to other people and business. Some people come to me to teach them how to take care of their gardens, so I first go check it out, then show them how to do just that,” Mandisa adds.
So, what’s the secret behind Mandisa’s healing hands? Pure love and water! “I use the same seeds, fertilizer and water that everyone uses. My only secret is that once you love something, it loves you back. I have passion for agriculture, I give it my all – I make sure I take care of those plants because I want them to take care of me, I want them to attract customers,” Mandisa reveals.
The most rewarding thing about Mandisa’s job is the number of opportunities it comes with, in a country where youth unemployment is sky high, she says she is blessed to have multiple streams of income.
The 23-year-old is currently busy with a business learnership, “I want to learn more about becoming a business owner, how to manage your business etc. I want to own farms in the future and be able to grow my own produce and sell to the whole of Africa,” she concludes before rushing off to another garden.
