top of page
Search

AfricArena Award-Winning Startup Arable Grow Raises $50,000 to Expand Sustainable Urban Farming


Portait of the CEO of Adashi, Ahmed.
IMAGE CAPTION: Inside an Arable Grow Vertical Farm. Image: Supplied / Arable Grow

When Arable Grow won an AfricArena Startup Award in 2023, it wasn’t just a trophy moment, it was a signal.


For a hardware-heavy, capital-intensive vertical farming startup operating in South Africa, the recognition brought something just as valuable as funding: credibility. It put Arable Grow in front of the right ecosystem players, opened doors to conversations that would’ve otherwise taken years to unlock, and placed the company firmly inside a network that understands how hard it is to build real infrastructure-led businesses in Africa.


That early validation helped Arable Grow connect with investors, partners, and customers who didn’t just like the idea, but understood the problem.

What Arable Grow Is Building and Who It’s For

Founded in Somerset West by Hein Duvenhage and four co-founders, Arable Grow is tackling one of Africa’s most persistent challenges: how to produce fresh, nutritious food reliably in environments constrained by water, space, and fragile supply chains.


Arable Grow enables produce to be grown exactly where it’s consumed using compact, water-efficient vertical farming units. The model eliminates long transport routes, drastically reduces water usage, and delivers pesticide-free produce to businesses, retailers, and institutions that need consistency, quality, and transparency.


In a continent where food insecurity and rising urbanisation collide daily, the solution is both practical and urgent.


And now, after years of deliberate, disciplined building, Arable Grow has raised USD 50,000 as part of its current bridge / pre-seed round, moving closer to its USD 100,000 target to scale operations across the Western Cape.

From Concept to Concrete Impact

The idea for Arable Grow was first shaped during the Covid years, not as a reactionary pivot, but as a long-term response to a structural problem: food systems that are unreliable, resource-heavy, and disconnected from where people actually live.


Rather than rushing to launch, founder Hein Duvenhage and his four co-founders focused on assembling the right team first.


Their starting point wasn’t technology. It was a mindset.


With a founding philosophy centered on sustainability, profitability, and measurable impact, Arable Grow was built to survive real-world conditions, not pitch decks.


The early days were lean by design. The company was bootstrapped with each founder contributing R500 per month, every extra expense debated and justified. No hype. No shortcuts. Just steady execution.


Solving a Very African Problem


Arable Grow tackles one of the continent’s most pressing challenges: how to produce nutritious food reliably in environments constrained by water, space, infrastructure, and cost.


Their vertical farming units enable produce to be grown directly at the point of consumption, cutting transport emissions, reducing water usage, and eliminating the need for pesticides.


In an African context, this matters deeply:

  • Infrastructure gaps raise operational costs

  • Hardware iteration is expensive and slow

  • Customer affordability forces radical efficiency

  • Imports create supply chain and currency risk


Arable Grow has had to build not just a product, but resilience.


The Moment It All Clicked


One defining moment changed how the team viewed their trajectory.


A corporate client spent nearly R300,000 just to verify that Arable Grow’s produce was genuinely pesticide-free, because they couldn’t find another supplier meeting the same standard. That client is now pursuing a deal the founders didn’t expect to see for another five years.


Shortly after, Arable Grow achieved GAP certification, something multiple auditors said would be impossible with their model.


That wasn’t just validation. It was proof.

“We didn’t try to grow fast. We tried to grow right. The farm came first, the product came first, and the technology followed. This journey has been hard, messy, exhausting but also deeply meaningful. This raise represents trust, and we take that responsibility seriously.” — Hein Duvenhage, Founder, Arable Grow

Traction Through Discipline


Today, Arable Grow has:


  • Raised R4 million to date

  • Come within R3,000 of monthly profitability by October 2025

  • Built a vertically integrated farming and delivery operation

  • Measured impact through food output, water efficiency, and reduced single-use plastics


During the funding winter, the team narrowed focus to revenue-generating activities, paused non-essential R&D, and became highly selective about partnerships and networking.


It’s not a flashy growth story, but it’s a sustainable one.

What’s Next


Looking ahead, Arable Grow plans to:


  • Expand into three new sites in the Western Cape

  • Raise the remaining USD 50,000 in its current round

  • Move closer to its five-year vision of deploying Arable units in all major South African cities


Each step brings them closer to a future where food security is local, resilient, and sustainable.


Building the Future, Together


Arable Grow’s story is a reminder that success doesn’t always arrive loudly. Sometimes it grows quietly, rooted in discipline, trust, and long-term vision.


If you’re a founder building with purpose, an investor looking beyond hype, or a partner ready to collaborate on Africa’s real challenges, there’s space for you in this ecosystem.


Want to Be Part of the Next Big Thing?


Whether you’re a startup founder looking to raise capital, a corporate ready to collaborate, or just someone who loves being in the room where Africa’s future happens, we’ve got a seat for you.



Because in the AfricArena network, one connection can change everything.


Explore African startup stories at africarena.com

Learn more about Arable Grow: arable.co.za

Comments

bottom of page