Home Gardens a Money Saver - PhD Research Finding

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The role of home gardens in enhancing food and nutrition security and addressing multidimensional poverty in rural areas in Limpopo was researched by Dr Mbalenhle Gwacela who was awarded a PhD in Food Security from UKZN.

Aligning with her interest in food and nutrition security, Gwacela found that households with home gardens experienced reduced levels of multidimensional poverty, particularly among families with older household heads and larger household sizes. She observed that older heads of households predominantly practised home gardening, while there was a lack of interest in farming among the younger generation.

Her study reinforced the ongoing structural challenges in South Africa, particularly around land inaccessibility, limited access to markets and insufficient agricultural support - all of which continue exacerbating food and nutrition insecurity.

It was a double celebration for Gwacela as apart from securing her doctorate she also became a mother for the first time!

She completed all her degrees at UKZN, from undergraduate studies in Geography and Environmental Management, to a postgraduate Diploma in Policy and Developmental Studies and a Master’s degree in Food Security, before embarking on her PhD as a developmental lecturer, determined to build a career in research and academia.

Being from St Wendolins in Mariannhill, UKZN’s Pietermaritzburg campus was ideally situated for Gwacela and offered her opportunities to specialise in studying weather and the natural environment, her initial interests.

Gwacela enjoyed engaging with the real-world dynamics of food insecurity, livelihoods and household wellbeing in South Africa, saying that understanding these dynamics is critical for developing informed, sustainable interventions that strengthen food and nutrition systems at both the community and national levels.

Her research was published in international journals during her studies, with Gwacela being able to work with international researchers through the Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems (SHEFS) project.

Despite the setbacks of changing her research topic several times, Gwacela’s work accelerated in 2022, and she worked hard to understand new statistical models she needed to analyse her results with the support of her supervisor, who introduced her to experts in that area.

Gwacela balanced her research with her commitment to God and her church community. She found indispensable support from her husband when the pressure of managing studies and motherhood became overwhelming.

Gwacela plans to continue publishing her findings and, through the interdisciplinary nature of food security research, hopes to collaborate across boundaries within and beyond UKZN to broaden the impact of her work.

She is passionate about advocating for food and nutrition security in southern Africa and hopes to explore the deeper complexities of the field, including the development and strengthening of policy interventions.

Gwacela thanked her family, friends and supervisor, Professor Mjabuliseni Ngidi, for their support.

Words: Christine Cuénod

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini