In pictures: KZN farmer gets up and rebuilds after losing millions

A few years ago, Welile Gumede, the owner of Azowel Projects, was hailed as a rising star in agriculture. She had won numerous awards and several competitions, but fate, cruel and unforgiving, had other plans.

Gumede has faced significant difficulties several times during her farming journey, but the disastrous floods and hailstorms that hit KwaZulu-Natal completely destroyed her farming business, costing her almost R3 million.

“At that time we had managed to set up twenty tunnels at full capacity where peppers were produced. Just as we were trying to rebuild, the hailstorm of 2023 wiped out all our efforts.”

From rising star to struggling farmer

She started farming in 2017, renting 9.5 hectares with 10 dilapidated plastic tunnels from the Qwabe-Nkanini Trust.

“Last year’s damage set us back because we could not start growing cucumbers. Our tomatoes were completely damaged,” she says.

Azowel was originally based in KwaDukuza, but operations came to a standstill in July 2021 during the unrest. This led to at least ten employees losing their jobs.

While the project was still in the early stages of recovery, the April 2022 flood did not spare Azowel. The company lost all its tunnels and vegetables and had no choice but to move.

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Reconstruction at Camperdown

Gumede then moved her business to Camperdown where she currently has 21 tunnels. The maximum capacity of each tunnel is 900 factories, and 10 tunnels are currently in full production.

Azowel produces a combined 20,000 tons of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in hydroponic tunnels and supplies to various markets.

The company received funding worth R3.6 million from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through its agency, the Agribusiness Development Agency (ADA).

The company has also received 4,500 peppers and 2,400 tomato seedlings from the department.

“Although we have made great progress in our new premises, we hope to maximize production by building a packing house which will also assist with waste management on the farm. We also need an irrigation system,” Gumede said.

MEC Super Zuma recently visited Azowel Project and said his department would continue to work with Azowel until they were fully commercialized.

“I’m happy with the hard work I see. We will do everything we can to ensure that you reach your full potential,” Zuma said.

Gumede said they are grateful to the government for the assistance they have received.

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