We envision a Zebediela and a South Africa where no young person goes unemployed for lack of opportunity, where no family goes hungry within reach of productive land, and where communities are equipped to grow their own food, manage their own resources, and drive their own development.
We are building that future one crop, one workshop, one job at a time.
South Africa faces a gathering food crisis. Climate change is already reducing yields. Inflation is making staple food unaffordable. Population growth is outpacing supply. SAFE is part of the solution — producing affordable, locally grown food and training communities to produce their own. We sold cobs of maize for R5 outside Zebediela Plaza. That’s not charity. That’s community commerce.
We don’t just talk about youth unemployment. We employ youth. Every expansion of our farm is an expansion of our workforce. Every workshop creates facilitator roles. Every new crop season brings new farm workers on board. As we grow, so does the number of young people with meaningful work, transferable skills, and a reason to stay in their community.
We practise what we preach. Drip irrigation to reduce water waste. Crop rotation to protect soil fertility. Intercropping for diverse yields. Solar energy transitions in the pipeline. And an education programme that ensures the next generation inherits both the land and the knowledge to care for it responsibly.