Cape Town Farmers Grow Food With 90% Less Water

Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and herbs are sprouting across Cape Town without a single grain of soil, and they're using barely any water in one of the world's most drought-prone cities.

Twenty farmers from Langa, one of Cape Town's oldest working-class townships, are pioneering hydroponic farming after receiving training at the Handpicked City Farm nonprofit. Instead of soil, they're growing plants in nutrient-rich water solutions that use 90% less water than traditional agriculture.

The results speak for themselves. Within just six months, these farmers successfully grew lettuce, spinach, spring onions, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs including basil, thyme, and mint. Some even cultivated edible flowers like nasturtium and marigold.

Urban geographer researchers interviewed all 20 farmers to understand if hydroponics could solve food security challenges in Cape Town. The farmers reported that crops grew faster and more reliably than traditional farming methods. One farmer explained they only needed to water plants once every two days, depending on weather conditions.

The system offers year-round growing seasons because temperature, humidity, and light can be controlled. This matters enormously in Langa, where many households depend on informal food networks, government grants, and irregular income to meet their nutritional needs.

Hydroponic systems stack plants in vertical layers, using 99% less land than conventional farming. This means they can be set up on rooftops, in abandoned warehouses, parking lots, and other unused urban spaces. Similar projects are already thriving in Johannesburg's city center and across urban farms in the United States.

The Ripple Effect

The potential reaches far beyond individual farmers. Research from India shows hydroponics could significantly improve food security and nutrition when combined with proper training and supportive government policies. In Cape Town, a city of stark economic contrasts where affluent suburbs exist alongside under-resourced communities, this technology could level the playing field.

Cape Town has experienced droughts lasting up to three years. Low-income areas like Langa struggle with weak infrastructure and inconsistent service delivery. Soil-based agriculture simply isn't feasible when water is this scarce.

The main challenge remains the high upfront costs for equipment, nutrients, and infrastructure. The technology also requires reliable electricity and water supplies to maintain controlled growing conditions. Researchers found that hydroponics will only reach its full potential if the technology becomes more affordable, training expands, and cities include it in urban planning with long-term support.

Some farmers want to grow larger staple crops like maize, butternut, and pumpkin, but hydroponics works best for smaller, fast-growing vegetables and herbs. However, one innovative farmer discovered they could use the system to grow seedlings for larger crops to plant elsewhere.

These 20 farmers are proving that fresh, nutritious food can flourish in the heart of cities where traditional farming has failed.