Africa-Press – Eswatini. “The soil is your greatest employer, it will never fire you.” These words are more than a saying for 36 year old Tholakele Hlophe- Mthupha, they are the foundation of her life. Hlophe has transformed her passion for farming into a livelihood that feeds her family, sustains her community, and fuels her dreams.
Although she holds a certificate in secretarial studies, Hlophe chose to follow her heart instead of an office career. What began as a way to provide food for her household has grown into a full-time agribusiness. She produces dry maize between October and May, tends to seasonal vegetables such as spinach, cabbages, and green peppers, and even runs a poultry project funded by profits from her crops.
The journey has not been without obstacles. Limited funds often make it difficult to buy essentials such as fencing, seeds, and fertiliser, while climate change brings unpredictable weather from intense heat to excessive rains that threatens her yields. But Hlophe refuses to give up. Support from the InshaNyelo Fund, together with knowledge gained from training workshops, has strengthened her resolve to keep the soil alive with produce.
Her farming philosophy is as practical as it is inspiring: start small. “Don’t wait until you have a lot of money. Use what you already have droppers can fence your land, compost can fertilise your soil and grow from there,” she advises.
Beyond her homestead, Hlophe carries a vision for her community. She dreams of expanding her farm into a fruit and vegetable shop, and as it grows, she hopes to create job opportunities for others, particularly during difficult times when food and work are scarce.
For her, farming is not just survival, it is independence, dignity, and hope. And at the heart of it all is the soil, the one employer that never hands out retrenchments or dismissal letters. In Tholakele Hlophe’s words and actions, a timeless truth takes root, the soil will never fire you.
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