What is agripreneurship?

Agripreneurship means running farming as a business: producing food, selling it and growing an income from it, rather than farming only for subsistence.

Why is the first Hydro-Coop cohort mostly women?

Young women in South Africa face higher unemployment and weaker access to start-up capital, so the programme was designed to give them business ownership.

Can learnership graduates start their own farms?

Yes. Debra Dagada completed an NQF Level 2 in Plant Production with Afrika Tikkun and now farms her own land in Diepsloot.

Why Young Women Are Leading Agripreneurship in Diepsloot

By Afrika Tikkun · 2 October 2026 · About 4 minutes

Women tending crops by hand in a green field — Illustrative photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

When Afrika Tikkun launched the Green Acres Hydro-Coop pilot in Diepsloot in February 2026, we made a deliberate choice. Of the 20 young agripreneurs in the first cohort, 19 are young women. The 20th is a young man living with a disability. This is agripreneurship designed for the people most often left out of the economy.

Why young women?

The choice reflects a hard economic reality. In South Africa, young women face higher unemployment, lower rates of business ownership and weaker access to start-up capital than young men. A farming programme that hands them infrastructure, training and a market gives them something rarely on offer: a business of their own.

"Agripreneurship is a lifeline for our youth."
Marc Lubner, Group CEO, Afrika Tikkun

Ownership, not temporary jobs

The programme is not built around short-term placements. Each participant runs her own micro-farm using a solar-powered Hydro-Coop unit that produces both chickens and vegetables. Alongside the farming, the cohort trains in farm management and entrepreneurship, and gains sales and customer service experience in a retail space linked to the programme.

The aim is long-term income. Skills matter, but it is ownership and mentorship over time that turn farming into a career, and a career into a business that supports a household. The pilot runs at Afrika Tikkun's Green Acres Farm in Diepsloot.

Read how the Hydro-Coop units work in our companion post.

Debra Dagada: from learner to landholder

Debra Dagada's journey shows where this path can lead. She joined Afrika Tikkun's agricultural learnership in Gauteng and completed an NQF Level 2 qualification in Plant Production.

She then moved into entrepreneurship through Green Acres, starting her own farming operation with starter inputs, mentorship and technical support. Today Debra farms on her own land at Northern Farm in Diepsloot. She arrived as a trainee and is now an independent farmer.

Part of a bigger journey: Cradle to Career

Agripreneurship is one stage of Afrika Tikkun's Cradle-to-Career 360° model. Since 1994, we have supported children and young people from early childhood development, through school, and into work or enterprise. Programmes like Green Acres are where that journey becomes an income.

A second cohort of 20 participants is planned for 2027, with the goal of taking the model into more communities across South Africa.

Back a young woman's business

Donate: help fund the next cohort of women agripreneurs. South African donors receive a Section 18A tax certificate. Donate today
Mentor or partner: businesses and professionals can share skills, open markets or sponsor participants, joining our partners. Get in touch
Learn more: explore our Agripreneurship programme.

Frequently asked questions

What is agripreneurship?: Agripreneurship means running farming as a business: producing food, selling it and growing an income from it, rather than farming only for subsistence.
Why is the first Hydro-Coop cohort mostly women?: Young women in South Africa face higher unemployment and weaker access to start-up capital, so the programme was designed to give them business ownership.
Can learnership graduates start their own farms?: Yes. Debra Dagada completed an NQF Level 2 in Plant Production with Afrika Tikkun and now farms her own land in Diepsloot.