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
14. Ayanda Nayo – From backyard gardens to community revival
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“We started with five households. Now, we’re working on five hectares, employing 18 people and feeding over 40 families.”
Ayanda Nayo is a South African community leader, mother, and founder of Potsdam Girls (PTY) LTD, an agricultural cooperative based in Potsdam Village, near the coastal city of East London in the Eastern Cape province. Formerly a Supply Chain Manager in the Department of Agriculture, Ayanda made the bold decision to leave government employment to respond to the urgent needs of her rural community—where poverty, unemployment, and youth crime had become widespread. In 2020, amid growing social and economic hardship, Ayanda launched a grassroots initiative that began with simple backyard gardens. Her vision was to combat hunger and restore dignity by helping families grow their own food. What started small, quickly expanded into a five-hectare farming project that now provides food security and income opportunities to more than 40 families.