Mahlatse Matlakana is a 23-year-old young woman with a passion for green pepper farming.

She describes her love for farming as a ‘bittersweet love story.’

I decided to take a gap year and farm green peppers for fun.

At the age of 15, Mahlatse began working in the neighbouring farms of Arrie Village in the Blouberg municipality during school holidays to support her unemployed mother and two younger siblings.

Five years later, and a few lucky breaks along the way, Mahlatse now leases an 8-hectare farm and produces green peppers for four national food wholesalers.

This podcast is also available as a blog post here: https://zaszambia.wordpress.com/2021/08/29/mahlatse-23-feeds-the-nation-with-her-green-peppers/