By Duncan Mnisi
MPUMALANGA, South Africa — When Bennedicter Mhlongo walked away from his nursing career in 2013, his community thought he was taking a gamble. What they didn’t know was that he was planting the seeds of a revolution, one that would challenge inherited assumptions about agriculture, reshape rural economies, and position farming as a force for justice, dignity, and transformation.
Thirteen years later, Bennedicter is more than just a farmer; he’s a blueprint. From the quiet village of Roiboklagte in Acornhoek, he’s built Benica Farm, a thriving enterprise that feeds, mentors, and empowers. It’s become a ground zero for local development, creating jobs, improving food security, and demonstrating that black excellence in agriculture isn’t aspirational, it’s actionable.
“I wanted more than survival,” Bennedicter says. “I wanted rural communities to dream bigger and see farming as a path to economic freedom.” His vision runs deeper than profit. It’s anchored in justice and rooted in systemic change.
Earlier this year, Bennedicter launched the Benica Foundation, a nonprofit that distributes fresh, homegrown produce to food-insecure families and promotes ecological farming models across Mpumalanga. The foundation isn’t just about nourishment; it’s about restoring dignity to rural households, often overlooked in national development agendas.
Collaborations have helped scale his impact. From the Timbavati Foundation to NYDA, Indalo Inclusive South Africa, and the Department of Agriculture, Bennedicter’s model has caught the attention of institutions looking to merge grassroots innovation with policy reform. “His story shows what happens when vision meets integrity,” says Candice Piers, General Manager at Timbavati. “He’s building something that echoes far beyond his fields.”
Even academia has come knocking. Bennedicter mentors students from universities and TVET colleges, including the University of Mpumalanga, Tshwane University of Technology, and Ehlanzeni College. More than 15 have already completed his short courses on regenerative agriculture, learning first-hand what textbooks miss: leadership, resilience, and the cultural politics of rural development.
His wife, Veronica Mhlongo, is both co-pilot and partner. Together, they’re nurturing a legacy built on love, partnership, and community solidarity. Their commitment is generational, focused not only on what they grow, but on what they leave behind.
More from Africa News 24
Call for structural reform to boost women’s political power in Namibia and beyond
And that legacy is about to take literary form. On July 29, 2025, Bennedicter will release Chronicles of a Farmer’s Life, co-authored with Duncan Mnisi and Faith Ngwenya. It offers an unfiltered look at the joys, grit, and contradictions of farming life, from crop failures to community victories. More than a memoir, it’s a toolkit for emerging farmers and social innovators seeking to centre justice in development.
“I believe farming is the heartbeat of the universe,” Bennedicter says. “And if we tune into it properly, we can heal communities and rebuild economies.”
In an age of climate anxiety, inequality, and top-down policymaking, Bennedicter Mhlongo’s journey offers something rare: a bottom-up story of hope, grounded in soil and spirit. His work is a quiet rebellion against the status quo and a loud invitation to reimagine what farming and leadership can look like.
