Vuyolwethu Mrwata Builds Scalable Farming Systems Through Licebo Harvest

Vuyolwethu Mrwata, a Mail and Guardian Power of Women awardee and first runner-up at the 2025 Gauteng Young Entrepreneur Awards, is the founder of Licebo Harvest, a Pretoria-based horticulture farm specialising in large-scale cabbage production. She has designed systems that allow her farm to operate efficiently while maintaining high standards and scalability. Through structured daily planning and clear delegation of tasks, she ensures that every member of her team knows their responsibilities and the goals for the day. This disciplined approach has helped Licebo Harvest become a reliable supplier capable of competing with commercial farms.

Daily operations at Licebo Harvest start with team meetings to plan activities and assign duties. Crop selection is based on seasonal performance to maximise yield and minimise risk. During winter, the farm plants Taurus F1 cabbage because of its cold resistance, while in summer, Optima cabbage is preferred for its heat tolerance. This careful crop planning supports consistent production and reduces losses due to weather conditions. By focusing on crop performance and operational efficiency, the farm maintains quality and meets market demands consistently.

Licebo Harvest produces class one cabbage, defined as good quality produce with minor skin or shape defects. This classification allows the farm to compete with larger commercial operations despite being a small-scale enterprise. Mrwata emphasises standards, volume, and reliability over relying on a single harvest cycle. She has built her business model around delivering quality produce that buyers can trust. Her focus on supply chain management and operational systems is helping her expand the farm’s reach.

Mrwata’s journey into agriculture followed the closure of her first business in the beauty industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. The experience motivated her to move into a more essential and sustainable sector, leading her to farming. Although her experience is mostly self-taught, she has quickly developed expertise in crop management, farm operations, and commercial supply systems. Her success reflects her ability to learn quickly and implement effective practices, showing that resilience and adaptability are key to emerging farmers.

National recognition has followed her achievements. She was named one of the Mail and Guardian Harvesting Women in 2022 and spoke at the Green Youth Indaba in 2023, where she shared insights on youth participation in agriculture. These platforms highlighted her ability to combine practical farming with leadership and community engagement. Her story demonstrates that small-scale farmers can compete in commercial markets through discipline, planning, and high standards.

Beyond the farm, Mrwata balances her roles as a mother, business owner, and digital content creator. She has built a strong social media presence, with over 61,000 Instagram followers, more than 10,000 on TikTok, and over 9,000 YouTube subscribers. Her content focuses on farming, motherhood, and entrepreneurship, helping educate and inspire others to pursue similar paths. She credits effective time management and prioritisation, placing family first, followed by business and content creation, as central to her success.

Mrwata encourages aspiring farmers and entrepreneurs to start with purpose and courage. She advises asking why a venture matters, using that motivation to push past fear and commit fully. Failure, she says, is part of the learning process and should not deter action. Through Licebo Harvest, she demonstrates that careful planning, attention to quality, and consistent effort can allow small-scale farmers to compete with established operations and achieve sustainable growth in South Africa’s horticulture sector.