The Soil Remembers Her Hands
The soil remembers her hands is a podcast celebrating South African women who are transforming agriculture and the wine industry from the ground up. Produced by the Graça Machel Trust, the podcast demonstrates how through their hands, we see dignity, employment, and generational change take root—reminding us that when women lead, communities flourish. We are a non-profit organisation whose mission is to advance systemic change so that African women and girls thrive.
The Soil Remembers Her Hands
13. Bukeka Buqwana - Cultivating hope in the cracks of tradition
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"Imagine what it would mean for girls to learn that farming isn’t just for old men, but it’s powerful, dignified, and feeds nations."
Bukeka Buqwana is a South African social entrepreneur and agricultural innovator leading rural transformation in the Eastern Cape. She co-founded Zakhe Youth Development, a farming cooperative that creates sustainable livelihoods for women and youth in under-resourced communities. Originally trained as an electrician, Bukeka turned to agriculture after years of unemployment. In 2017, she began cultivating a small, abandoned plot—laying the groundwork for what would grow into a five-hectare operation supplying supermarkets, schools, and early childhood development centres. Today, her cooperative employs over 20 people, the majority of whom are women.