Diepsloot, Johannesburg: South Africa is grappling with two interconnected challenges: persistently high youth unemployment and declining local food production. A new pilot is testing whether both can be tackled at once by developing unemployed youth into micro-farming entrepreneurs.

A farming initiative led by non-profit organisation Afrika Tikkun, and funded and supported by impact investor E Squared Investments, is positioning small-scale agritech as a viable start-up opportunity for young people to earn an income and build sustainable livelihoods while contributing to local food security and economic growth.

Launched earlier this week, the Green Acres Hydro-Coop programme at Afrika Tikkun’s Green Acres Farm in Diepsloot is equipping a cohort of 20 trailblazers, including 19 resilient young women and one determined young man with a disability, to run revenue-generating micro-farming ventures using Hydro-Coop units designed to function in urban, rural and remote environments with limited infrastructure.

The Hydro-Coop unit is a smart farming system that combines poultry production with hydroponic vegetable growing. The solar-powered units are compact, movable and use substantially less water than conventional farming methods. Crops are grown using sustainable, biodiversity-friendly farming methods, giving young people access to innovative agricultural skills.

The pilot began in February, with the participants entering a practical development phase that combines training with live business operations. Since then, the cohort has participated in programmes covering hydroponics, farm management and entrepreneurship, while simultaneously launching their own micro-enterprises.

Beyond Farming: Building Market-Ready Businesses

Over the past three months of a 12-month programme, participants have moved from training into early-stage entrepreneurship, building and running their own agricultural enterprises.

Afrika Tikkun has also partnered with Garden Fresh at Nine Yards, Joburg’s new green town square, and other retail outlets to sell the produce. Participants will work in a customer-designed retail space, gaining hands-on experience in sales and customer service alongside their farming training.

If targets are met, the 20 enterprises are expected to produce annually:

• 22,400 chickens
• 60,000 vegetables
• Around 228,000 meals
• Up to 1.5 million litres of water savings

“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 Marc Lubner, Group CEO of Afrika Tikkun.

Women at the Centre of the Pilot

Lubner says the first intake was structured as an almost all-female cohort, aimed at women with limited access to formal employment or business opportunities. “This focus reflects a wider economic reality. Women, particularly younger women, face higher unemployment rates, lower business ownership levels and weaker access to startup capital than their male counterparts,” he says.

Rather than placing participants into temporary work, the project is designed around ownership.

“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,” Lubner adds.

A Scalable Model and Success Story

The Green Acres Hydro-Coop model forms part of Afrika Tikkun’s broader agricultural programmes which provide hands-on experience by integrating training, enterprise development and commercial operations to help turn knowledge into income-generating opportunities. “Agripreneurship is a lifeline for our youth. It creates opportunities for unemployed young people to become entrepreneurs through Afrika Tikkun’s Cradle to Career model,” adds Lubner.

One of the programme’s success stories is Debra Dagada, who joined the organisation’s agricultural learnership in Gauteng and completed an NQF Level 2 qualification in Plant Production. After completing the programme, Dagada moved into entrepreneurship through Green Acres, and launched her own farming operation with starter inputs, mentorship and technical support. She later secured her own land at Northern Farm in Diepsloot, transitioning from trainee to independent farmer.

Service provider UrbanFarm Africa, a South African based agritech and smart food systems business says it has implemented 271 smart farming projects, trained more than 7,500 people, and helped participating farmers generate R250 million over five years.

“We believe in backing solutions that are both practical and enduring,” said Zakiya Khan, Head of Investments: Social Entrepreneurship at E Squared. “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”.

Afrika Tikkun plans to introduce a new cohort of 20 participants in 2027, with the long-term goal of scaling the model across more communities in South Africa.