Village Roots, Modern Solutions

My name is Lungani Mbatha, and I’m from Botha’s Hill, just outside Hillcrest in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa ,a place where farming is rare, dreams are often delayed, and opportunities are few. But I’ve never let that stop me from trying.That’s how OurPlazi was born.The name is a simple mix of two powerful words:
“Our” (from English) + “Plazi” (Zulu for “farm”) = OurPlazi.
It means “Our Farm.”Not just mine. Not just yours. Ours.It’s not just a brand it’s a vision.A dream to build a space where people from villages, townships, and overlooked communities can buy, sell, grow, learn, and rise together. So far, I’ve tested ideas. I’ve built a working prototype of cooling system that can preserve vegetables using mostly natural energy.I’ve sold eggs on foot, built chicken coops from scrapyard materials, and studied agriculture online while the world was quiet during lockdowns.I’ve spoken to local vendors, shop owners, and unemployed youth who are hungry for something to believe in..But the real project the cooling hub, the local  supply center, the training ground, and the repair facility is still ahead of me.This isn’t a story of “look at what I’ve done.”It’s a story of “look at what we can do together.”This blog is my proposal in real-time.It’s proof of passion, planning, progress, and possibility.It’s where I lay down the blueprint of what OurPlazi will be from village to vision, from problem to prototype, from hustle to hub.You’re not reading history. You’re reading something being built right now with whatever resources I can get, one piece at a time.If you’re here to help, support, share, or even just learn thank you.This is OurPlazi.And this is the journey.