Living up to its name, Siyavuna is harvesting growth

Started in 2008 to help ensure food security for a charity, the Siyavuna programme has expanded to focus on farming, training and growing its value chains.

- Jyothi Laldas

Started as a small food security programme 14 years ago, Siyavuna has grown to provide livelihoods for thousands on the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) South Coast.

Siyavuna means ‘harvest’ in isiZulu, and the Siyavuna Abalimi Development Programme was first piloted by the Give a Child a Family initiative, a registered child protection organisation promoting the rights and well-being of children and families.

THE TIMELINE

The programme started in 2008 to help ensure food security for those within the care of Give a Child a Family, with 86 farmers on board helping provide access to fresh produce markets.

By 2009 an additional 628 farmers had been taken on board and vegetable sales had expanded to four communities. This signalled the birth of the Kumnandi brand, now a household name on the KZN South Coast.

The year 2010 saw Siyavuna hosting 1 130 active farmers who were operational in nine different communities.

Owing to its great success, Siyavuna moved on from the pilot stage and became a fully fledged agricultural business with its own membership. In 2011, it was registered as a non-profit organisation of more than 1 200 active farmers.

With more than 2 000 farmers trained in food production by 2014 and the development of farmers’ associations, Siyavuna was offering in-field mentorship and conducting inspections regularly, providing 2 000 families with access to nutritious food.

In 2015, it conducted an organisational assessment that resulted in developing agrihubs, with three agri-hubs registered.

The progress continued with the development of value chains and three business plans: the Bulbine Frutescens Plan, implemented in 2021, and the Dried Vegetable and Youth Activation in Agriculture plans, implemented last year.