Congratulations, Godi Nsele: NCT's 2025 Small-scale Tree Farmer of the Year
Godi Isaac Nsele, an agroforestry farmer from Manguzi in KwaZulu-Natal, was chosen as NCT's 2025 Small Grower Tree Farmer of the Year. The award recognises exceptional silvicultural and operational practices and environmental management.
Forestry was not on Nsele's radar when he began working in the kitchens at the state-owned South African Railways in the early 1970s. After earning his driver's license, he decided to seek other opportunities in the private sector.
In 1974, he joined his uncle in the clothing trade, sourcing garments from Durban and selling them in Empangeni. By 1977, Nsele bought his first bakkie, which he used for the business and transporting passengers between Mozambique and Empangeni in KZN. In 1981, he ventured into farming, establishing a two-hectare banana plantation in the swamps of Kosi Bay.
In 1989, his land was expropriated by Ezemvelo for environmental conservation, and he invested the compensation in his first tractor and, with profits from the banana trade, built two general-dealer shops.
When the forestry industry began promoting community afforestation in Zululand in the early 1980s, Nsele seized the opportunity and planted his first timber plots. He joined NCT in 1996 and a year later harvested his first rotation.
Once he realised the potential of forestry, Nsele handed over the management of the shops to his wives and dedicated himself to his plantations. Today, he employs ten full-time workers and five seasonal workers. His son's contracting business handles harvesting, creating further employment within the family.
Nsele is known for his generosity in helping others. He supports aspiring timber farmers in his community by planting and harvesting the first rotation for them. Once the landowners inherit the coppice, they are empowered to continue independently. He recently bought a new truck to transport his timber and assist fellow farmers in his area.
NCT says Nsele's journey from hardship to leadership is a reflection of the soul of the Tree Farmer of the Year accolade.
Source: NCT News & Views September 2025, edited by Joy Crane. Pics supplied by NCT.
