With her origins in a sugar cane farm in Mandeni, KwaZulu-Natal, Ntwenhle Linda, 31, never imagined she would return to her roots through agriculture. Trained in consumer science and formerly a corporate buyer at a top retail group, her path was altered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Back home, she began raising 50 chickens in her backyard. She runs Qandalami, a 10 000- layer commercial egg farm. As co-director, Linda is both a leader and hands-on operator. She oversees animal welfare, supply chain management, financials and team train- ing. Her work is grounded in sustainability, empowerment and service, creating employment for 10 people and training 50 aspiring farmers. Mentored by industry veteran Robbie Kruger, she navigated an often-exclusionary sector as a young black woman. Ntwenhle was the winner of the Entrepreneur Programme (University of KwaZulu-Natal and MIT). Outside of farming, she leads Gals That Brunch Durban, a wellness initiative for young women that fosters emotional well- being. She believes young leaders must redefine agriculture through technology and inclusive growth. She urges policymakers to remove barriers to entry and equip rural youth with land, training and funding.
I deeply admire my mother for her resilience, strength and passion for agriculture. She has always viewed farming as a source of life, feeding mouths. There isn’t a day that goes by without her in the garden. Even after our family experienced deep loss, she rebuilt from the ground up. Our home has always been a food hub for the community, selling vegetables and chickens, often on credit, to support locals in times of need. That spirit of service and generosity is embedded in how I run my business today. A transformative mentor in my journey has been Robbie Kruger, my chicken supplier and an experienced white Afrikaans farmer. He took me under his wing and taught me the ropes in an industry that is traditionally closed off to young black women. His practical, real-world guidance gave me insights no textbook ever could. Having someone like Robbie believe in me and back me up was pivotal to my success, making the difference between surviving and thriving. I also seek to inspire women to enter the agricultural space, breaking barriers and rewriting the narrative of what a farmer looks like.