Meet Indiphile Ayabukwa Mgoloza, a young farmer at Cape Town’s Octopus Garden, growing herbs and vegetables organically while inspiring others to build their own gardens and connect with nature.
Cape Town, South Africa (30 June 2025) – When the Octopus Garden first sprouted on a once-forgotten rooftop at the V&A Waterfront, it was intended to be a two-year Mandela Day project, a living, breathing tribute to sustainability, creativity, and community. But like the adaptable creature it was named for, the garden has grown and evolved far beyond its humble beginnings.
In 2019, landscape architect Ian Dommisse and his collaborators transformed a previously underused patch of lawn into a vibrant urban farm constructed from eco-bricks and reclaimed materials. In its first few years, the Octopus Garden produced over 18,000 kilograms of vegetables for charity, sparked global conversations, and became a powerful symbol of how communities can come together to reimagine urban spaces.
Part of what has made the Octopus Garden so successful is its commitment to nurturing not only plants but also people. That philosophy evolved into Grow SA, a green economy learnership programme launched in 2021 by Dommisse and Henry Mathys, then-head of CSI at the V&A Waterfront. Their programme has supported dozens of entrepreneurs and urban farmers across Cape Town, helping them gain practical skills and build meaningful networks.
One of those changemakers is Indiphile Ayabukwa Mgoloza, a young farmer from East London. Indiphile now tends to the Octopus Garden itself, growing herbs and vegetables organically using a method called companion planting. Working closely with Dommisse as his mentor, Indiphile is not just tending to crops but helping others learn to grow their own food, encouraging healthier lifestyles and greener communities.
“Gardening is something I truly enjoy,” Indiphile shared on social media recently. “There’s something special about the connection you build with nature: it’s calming, beautiful, and can make such a positive difference in people’s lives.”
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He grows everything 100% organically, carefully choosing combinations of herbs and vegetables that flourish together, a nod to the way this project, and the broader Grow SA initiative, has always been about cultivating collaboration and resilience.
From a Mandela Day seedling to an ongoing movement for food security and environmental stewardship, the Octopus Garden continues to flourish under the hands of young leaders like Indiphile. And in a world hungry for solutions, hope, and connection, it stands as proof that even the smallest green spaces can grow big dreams.
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