For Busisiwe “Busi” Majola, agriculture has always been more than a practice. It has been a lifelong fascination, shaped by childhood visits to rural areas, school projects, and a deep imagination of ecosystems where everything has a place. In 2019, that early love was reawakened with a new language: permaculture, sustainability, and regenerative farming.
As the founder of Bafo and Busi Organic Farming, Busi had already begun building her path in agroecology and community-based food systems. But joining GrowSA Cohort 5 gave her the chance to deepen that journey. She came into the programme wanting to connect with more permaculture farms, strengthen her knowledge of regenerative farming, and build the confidence to launch the products she had been envisioning.
For Busi, one of the most valuable parts of the programme was the personal development work. The sessions helped her connect the learning she was already doing elsewhere and gave her space to grow as a person, not only as a farmer and entrepreneur. “It transformed me,” she says, describing how the experience helped her become a better version of herself. The programme also strengthened her conviction to begin with what she has, rather than waiting for the perfect moment.
That shift has stayed with her. Today, Busi says she feels more confident in her path and more certain that her passion belongs in the marketplace. “I now believe that there will always be an audience for my products,” she says. She has come to understand that her uniqueness is part of her strength: even when others sell similar products, she brings something distinctly her own.
Through GrowSA, Busi also found a community. She was exposed to a wider permaculture network and now sees that the people she has been seeking are already part of her world: like-minded growers, entrepreneurs, and customers who value what she offers. She has built lasting relationships with mentors and fellow alumni, and continues to draw on that support in her journey.
The impact of the programme is visible in the way she speaks, connects, and dreams. Busi now sees herself not only as a farmer, but as someone who informs, inspires, and attracts others through her passion. Her future plans reflect that vision. She hopes to become an influencer for the permaculture lifestyle, creating products that help people turn small spaces into “little perma havens” while learning to grow in sustainable ways.
For Busi, GrowSA was more than a learnership. It was a space that affirmed her calling, sharpened her confidence, and connected her to a movement that feels like home.
SA Urban Food & Farming Trust 