Women Who Feed the World: Ntombi Kambule – Growing Health, One Harvest at a Time

From her one-hectare organic farm in Hammanskraal, Ntombi Kambule is growing wholesome food with passion, purpose and a deep respect for nature. Inspired by her grandmother's love of farming, she now produces a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, flowers and indigenous crops, supplying both fresh produce markets and businesses like Oya Foods.

Tell us a bit about your farming journey. How did it begin and what inspired you to get into agriculture?

I come from a family of farmers. My grandmother, on my mother's side, loved farming, and some of my favourite childhood memories are of visiting her during the school holidays. Whenever she came back from her garden, she would bring us sweet potatoes, peanuts and squash. I loved watching her work, and although I didn't realise it then, that's where my love for farming began.

Years later, after moving to Johannesburg for work, I bought my first home and decided I wasn't going to buy vegetables anymore; I would grow my own. As the years went by, I realised that when I got older, I wanted to be on a farm where I could stay active doing something I love. That's how, in 2023, I eventually bought my one-hectare farm in Stinkwater, Hammanskraal. My farm is called Let's Eat Healthy Farm.

What crops do you grow, and what are you most passionate about producing?

I grow my produce organically using natural manure from cows, goats and, when I can get it, rabbits.

I specialise in sweet potatoes, pumpkins, beans, amaranth, okra, herbs, flowers and about 200 moringa trees. I also grow herbs such as mint, basil, echinacea and calendula, as well as a variety of fruit trees. I hope to expand my fruit trees so I can supply even more markets in the future.

I also grow flowers, including roses, daffodils and zinnias. I simply enjoy having them on the farm.

I love herbs because I enjoy living a healthy lifestyle. I make my own herbal teas, drink moringa regularly and even use it for my hair. I'm now starting to grow aloe as well. I believe healthy living starts with the food we grow and eat.

I mostly work on the farm on my own. Every now and then, young people from the community come by looking for an opportunity to earn some money, and they help me with the work.

What was it like collaborating with Oya Foods?

It was a blessing. 

I was introduced to a network of farmers and speciality food producers by someone I had only met through social media. That's how Oya Foods found me. They contacted me to find out what I produced, and today they are my biggest buyers of sweet potato leaves and pumpkin leaves. I haven't yet supplied them with amaranth because I wasn't producing the quantities they needed, but I'm taking care of that this year.

How can people access your produce or connect with your work?

My produce is supplied through the Pretoria Fresh Produce Market, and I also supply customers in Johannesburg through my network.

You can connect with me on Instagram at @ntombikambule, email me at ntombikambule87@gmail.com, or contact me on 079 828 2032.

I currently have about 200 moringa trees and am looking to connect with buyers interested in moringa. I'd love to hear from anyone looking to source it.

What's something you've learned through farming that you think more people should know?

Just start.

If your passion is farming, don't wait until you have a big piece of land. Start with a few containers, old buckets or whatever space you have available. Plant what you can and learn as you go.

Farming teaches you something every season. You learn by observing. Sometimes it's as simple as realising your potatoes needed deeper soil, or that maize needs air to flow between the stems. Every season teaches you something new.

I always tell people: start small, grow as your customers grow, and scale gradually. That's how I've built my farm, and that's the advice I'd give to anyone who dreams of farming.