---
title: "Farming as a labour of love, to keep families fed and kids at school"
description: "A group of women put all their love and time into farming at Costa Farm in Klippoortjie, Boksburg. They do it to feed their families and educate their kids, living in villages and at school in the Eastern Cape, near the Lesotho border."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "PHOTO ESSAY"
author: "Felix Dlangamandla"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/felix-dlangamandla/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-08-27-farming-as-a-labour-of-love-to-keep-families-fed-and-kids-at-school/"
published: "2023-08-27T13:13:47"
updated: "2023-08-27T13:14:21"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 231
---

# Farming as a labour of love, to keep families fed and kids at school

> A group of women put all their love and time into farming at Costa Farm in Klippoortjie, Boksburg. They do it to feed their families and educate their kids, living in villages and at school in the Eastern Cape, near the Lesotho border.

By Felix Dlangamandla · Published 27 August 2023, 15:13 SAST · Updated 27 August 2023, 15:14 SAST

## Key points
- From seeding to harvesting, the women of Costa Farm work tirelessly to cultivate spinach in Klippoortje, Boksburg.
- Women plod soil to perfection for spinach harvest
- Row covers protect crops from pests and maintain cool soil
- Planting, growing and harvesting is labour-intensive
- Felix Dlangamandla captures the process in photos

## Content

The women are seasonal workers, plodding the soil to perfection so that their spinach will flourish. They roll up the row covers that keep the soil moist and cool, and protect the crops from pests. The spinach is harvested in August. It needs six weeks of cool weather, from seeding to harvesting time. Planting, growing and harvesting is very labour-intensive.

![Tshepiso Salemane rolls up row covers that maintain cool soil and deter pests, before harvesting spinach at Costa Farm in Klippoortje, Boksburg, on 9 August 2023. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/qxo8wx-xUvjYgQuDHQDNFy0wX2k=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Photo-essay-Spinach-farm-02.jpg)

*Tshepiso Salemane rolls up row covers that maintain cool soil and deter pests, before harvesting spinach at Costa Farm in Klippoortje, Boksburg, on 9 August 2023. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![Christina Matobatse and Matumeleng Jali laugh as they walk to the tractor to load their bundled soil cover.  (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/HAa_MBtAhyx159sG0l3LEMVTizg=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Photo-essay-Spinach-farm-03.jpg)

*Christina Matobatse and Matumeleng Jali chuckling in conversation, as they walk to the tractor to load their bundled soil cover. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![Op-ed-Peacock et al-women-farmers](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/PVAO5o3NX50ypwvg5dHvOKec59Q=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Photo-essay-Spinach-farm-04.jpg)

*The women roll up row covers to maintain cool soil and deter pests before harvesting spinach at Costa Farm. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![Matumeleng Jali rolling up row covers that maintain cool soil and deter pests before harvesting spinach at Costa farm in Klippoortje, Boksburg on 09 August 2023.(Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/rGnUm7D1jnpGgIwCgAeG123mwxQ=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Photo-essay-Spinach-farm-06.jpg)

*Matumeleng Jali rolling up row covers before harvesting spinach in Klippoortje, Boksburg. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![Nobulelani Maphelo takes a break from rolling up covers that maintain cool soil and deter pests before harvesting spinach at Costa farm in Klippoortje, Boksburg on 09 August 2023.(Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/JxP49jB3fxyOOr7geugT_ppTAbQ=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Photo-essay-Spinach-farm-07.jpg)

*Nobulelani Maphelo takes a break from rolling up covers. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![Sam Darangwa prepares the sprinklers at Costa farm in Klippoortje, Boksburg on 09 August 2023.(Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/NH1I4sgUuLMzWj_oxNhfk8FXYSY=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Photo-essay-Spinach-farm-08.jpg)

*Sam Darangwa prepares the sprinklers at Costa Farm. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![A tractor spraying pesticides at Costa farm in Klippoortje, Boksburg on 09 August 2023.(Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/ffwiEOU5KJn-2z5W1cws7vfhNEc=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Photo-essay-Spinach-farm-09.jpg)

*A tractor spraying pesticides on 9 August 2023. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![Mathapelo walks between the rolls of row covers that maintain cool soil and deter pests before harvesting spinach at Costa farm in Klippoortje, Boksburg on 09 August 2023.(Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/l0ZN4dlDZdmFLVPgiPE5oB3JI4I=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Photo-essay-Spinach-farm-10.jpg)

*Mathapelo walks between the rolls of row covers that maintain cool soil and deter pests. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![Tshepiso Salemane rolls up row covers that maintain cool soil and deter pests before harvesting spinach at Costa farm in Klippoortje, Boksburg on 09 August 2023.(Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/zhKhm7EOTx4A0lke4HLlWvP5pBg=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Photo-essay-Spinach-farm-11.jpg)

*Tshepiso Salemane rolls up row covers. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![An areal image of women rolling up row covers to maintain cool soil and deter pests before harvesting spinach at Costa farm in Klippoortje, Boksburg on 09 August 2023.(Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/gCCcgNH5cxVoZsGKJrEpV_6mjtE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Photo-essay-Spinach-farm-12.jpg)

*An aerial view of the Rondebult women rolling up row covers. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

*Dlangamandla is photo editor at Daily Maverick.*