Nomsa Ngwenya, a recipient of the Female Farmer of the Year award, has transformed her farm with solar irrigation, thanks to reinvested prize money. SPAR South Africa's Rural Hub programme has been pivotal, enabling her to scale up production.

SPAR South Africa highlights the transformative power of women in agriculture, showcasing how they support small-scale farmers through innovative and sustainable approaches. Nomsa Ngwenya, founder of Ntl Baraka Eco-Farming and a recipient of the Female Farmer of the Year award, exemplifies resilience and leadership.

With a master’s degree in agricultural science, Nomsa turned to entrepreneurship, building a business focused on the organic farming of cocktail tomatoes, herbs, and moringa. Her journey has not been without challenges, but her determination has propelled her success.

Nomsa supplies over 52 tonnes of cocktail tomatoes annually to the market through the SPAR Mopani Hub in South Africa. Her recognition as Female Farmer of the Year by The Kagiso Trust’s Tyala Impact Fund further underscores her achievements. She reinvested her prize money into solar-powered irrigation systems, improving both efficiency and sustainability on her farm.

Championing women farmers

Mpudi Maubane, public relations, communications and sponsorship manager at SPAR South Africa, highlights the role of women in driving economic and social change.

“Women have long been at the forefront of progress across industries. Agriculture is no exception, and we’re seeing an inspiring shift as more women take ownership of their farming businesses,” Mpudi Maubane said.

SPAR South Africa continues to champion small-scale farmers, helping them scale up and integrate into the retail supply chain to create a genuinely inclusive food system where women-led farms can thrive. Nomsa Ngwenya’s story is a testament to the power of women’s resilience, entrepreneurship, and innovation in shaping the future of agriculture.

Nomsa said her journey took a positive turn in 2022 when she joined the SPAR Rural Hub programme, which provides small-scale farmers with resources, training, and access to markets. “SPAR’s support was a game changer, helping me increase production and transport my produce to market,” she said.

Looking ahead, she plans to establish a processing factory for moringa-based products and explore opportunities in turmeric coffee and morula oil production, supporting both her business and her local community.

Source: Food for Manzi

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About SPAR South Africa

SPAR South Africa was established in 1963 when a license was granted by SPAR International to a local business. Today, the license holder is listed on the Johannesburg stock exchange and operates different retail organisations as well as a robust distribution network. Grocery stores fall into four retail formats: SPAR neighbourhood, SPAR Express (operated as petrol forecourt stores), KWIKSPAR (focusing on convenience in city centres and high footfall locations), and SUPERSPAR Supermarkets (similar to the EUROSPAR format in offer). SPAR South Africa grants sub-licences to independent retailers to operate SPAR branded stores across the country.