A grower placing seedlings into an NFT hydroponics channel inside a tunnel

Hydroponic, vertical, and urban farms — built to grow.

One partner from the first site visit to the first harvest, and after. Talk to us for the best solution for your space, your budget, and your market.

How we work

Five steps, one team.

  1. 01

    Consult

    A site visit to understand the space, the water, the power, and what you want to grow.

  2. 02

    Design

    A proposal for the most sustainable system for that site — container, tunnel, rooftop, or nethouse.

  3. 03

    Build

    We construct and install the structure, irrigation, lighting, and growing system.

  4. 04

    Train

    On-site operational training for the people who will run the farm every day.

  5. 05

    Support

    Ongoing support after handover, so the harvests keep coming.

What we build.

Lettuce growing from white hydroponic blocks inside a container farm

01 · Vertical farming

Container & multi-level farms

A shipping container fitted out as a complete controlled-environment farm. Place one on a lot, in a yard, or beside a shop — or stack several into a multi-level site where space is tight. Crops grow all year under LED light, with temperature and humidity managed inside.

  • Leafy greens & herbs
  • Year-round harvests
  • Grow next to your buyers
  • Single or stacked units
Basil plants growing densely on stacked racks

02 · Urban farming

Rooftop farms

Cities rarely have a spare field, but they have roofs. A rooftop farm turns unused space on top of a building into a productive urban farm, so vegetables are grown on-site — close to restaurants, shops, and the people who eat them.

  • Uses existing space
  • Fresh, local produce
  • Fewer food kilometres
  • Hydroponic systems
Leafy greens growing in white NFT channels inside a tunnel

03 · Hydroponics

NFT hydroponics tunnels

Nutrient film technique (NFT) runs a thin, recirculating stream of nutrient solution along sloped channels, past the bare roots of each plant. Under a tunnel, that gives lodges, schools, and farms a clean, water-wise way to grow fresh vegetables on their own property.

  • Recirculating water
  • Lettuce, greens & herbs
  • Protected growing
  • Built and installed by us
Rows of cabbage growing under shade net with drip irrigation lines

04 · Sustainable farming

Nethouses & drip irrigation

Large shade-net structures with drip irrigation for community-scale growing — a more sustainable alternative to open-field farming. Drip lines put water at the root, and the net protects crops from sun, hail, and pests.

  • Community scale
  • Water at the root
  • Crop protection
  • Local teams trained on site
A Vertical Farming adviser showing visitors a leafy crop

05 · Advice

Consultation & site visits

Every good farm starts with the site. We visit, assess the space, water, and power, and listen to what you want to grow and who you want to sell to. Then we propose the most sustainable system for that place.

Visitors learning about stacked trays of greens inside a container farm

06 · People

Operational training & support

All our projects include on-site operational training, so the people running the farm know how to plant, feed, monitor, and harvest with confidence. Ongoing support is available after handover.

Basil in hydroponic channels with digital overlays for sunlight, climate, and pest monitoring

07 · AI agriculture

Custom AI software & system digitization

Modern farming requires real-time data, not outdated paperwork. Beyond hardware, we develop custom AI-driven AgTech software and convert legacy Excel spreadsheet tracking into modern, cloud-based telemetry dashboards. Whether you need predictive crop cycle tracking, automated EC/pH dosing alerts, regional weather synchronization, or AI-powered pest diagnostics, our software solutions turn complex agricultural metrics into actionable, profit-boosting insights.

  • Crop cycle tracking
  • EC/pH dosing alerts
  • Weather synchronization
  • AI pest diagnostics

The methods

The science, in plain words.

Hydroponics

What is hydroponics?

Hydroponics is a way of growing plants without soil, in a water-based nutrient solution that delivers essential minerals directly to the roots. The term comes from the Greek for “water” and “labour”. Plants absorb nutrients more efficiently, so they grow faster and yield more than in traditional farming. It uses 80–90% less water, reduces the need for pesticides, and makes it possible to grow food in cities, deserts, and other places where soil is poor or space is limited. Lettuce, leafy greens, and herbs are especially suited to it.

NFT hydroponics

What is the nutrient film technique?

NFT is a hydroponic method where a very shallow film of nutrient solution flows continuously down slightly sloped channels. Plant roots sit in the channel, drinking from the film while their upper part stays in the air for oxygen. The solution is collected and pumped back round, so very little water is lost. It is simple, efficient, and ideal for fast-growing leafy crops.

Urban farming

What is urban farming?

Urban farming — or city farming — is cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or around cities. It turns rooftops, vacant lots, backyards, and indoor spaces into productive sites, using methods from community gardens and soil plots to hydroponics, aeroponics, and vertical farming. It improves access to fresh, local food, supports food security in areas without fresh produce, shortens the distance from farm to plate, and can create local jobs. It ranges from personal gardens to commercial operations supplying markets, restaurants, and institutions.

Vertical farming

What is vertical farming?

Vertical farming grows crops in stacked layers or vertical structures, usually indoors in warehouses, buildings, or shipping containers. It relies on soilless methods like hydroponics, with temperature, humidity, LED lighting, and CO₂ controlled for year-round production. Stacking crops gives far higher yields per square metre — up to 99% less land than conventional farming — while recirculated water cuts use by up to 95%, and pesticides are rarely needed. It suits fast-growing, high-value crops like leafy greens, herbs, and small fruits, grown close to cities.

CEA

What is controlled environment agriculture?

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is the umbrella term for growing crops inside a structure where the conditions are managed rather than left to the weather — light, temperature, humidity, water, nutrients, and CO₂. Container farms, vertical farms, hydroponic tunnels, and nethouses all sit on the CEA spectrum, from fully sealed indoor rooms to protected outdoor growing. The more you control, the more predictable the harvest.

Who we work with

From one agripreneur to a whole community.

We work with communities and mining companies on sustainable food production, and with lodges, retailers, youth programmes, and individual urban farmers starting out.

  • Communities
  • Mining companies
  • Lodges & hospitality
  • Retailers
  • Youth & skills programmes
  • Agripreneurs

Questions we often hear

Do I need farming experience?

No. Every project includes on-site operational training for the people who will run the farm, and ongoing support is available after handover.

What can I grow with hydroponics?

Lettuce, leafy greens, and herbs like basil do especially well — they grow fast and sell well fresh. Our projects have grown butter lettuce, basil, dill, parsley, spinach, and Swiss chard.

How much water does it save?

Hydroponics typically uses 80–90% less water than traditional farming, and recirculating vertical systems can cut use by up to 95%. The exact figure depends on the system and the crop.

Do you work outside South Africa?

Yes. We built an NFT hydroponics tunnel for a lodge in Botswana. Tell us where your site is and we’ll talk it through.

Where can I sell what I grow?

Growing close to your buyers is the big advantage of urban farming — our SPAR pilot supplied the store from 50 metres away. If you are already growing, the Fresh Produce Market can help you find buyers.

Interested in becoming an urban farmer?

Talk to us for the best solution.

Talk to us