A 31-year-old entrepreneur from Richards Bay is carving her own niche in South Africa's growing agritechnology sector through a drone company focused on sustainable farming, forestry and environmental protection – a business she started after seeing a WhatsApp ad for a training course.
Bongiwe Nyawo founded Nyawo Zendalo Air in May 2024 after qualifying as a drone pilot through the Drone Day program run by Africa Beyond 4IR and sponsored by the Goethe-Institut. The program introduces women to drone technology and provides practical field experience. Nyawo was selected as one of the top participants of the program and received a starter drone package upon completion.
“I saw an opportunity to start a business that was more aligned with sustainability and food security,” he said.
The company focuses on drone services for the agriculture, forestry and environmental protection sectors, while also providing security surveillance, photography and videography services to generate revenue as the business grows.
Nyavo's work has received recognition and financial support. They received funding from the KwaZulu-Natal Premier's Office Youth Fund, which helped them acquire additional drones and office equipment, and were named the winner of the Dragons' Den 2025 Most Innovative Small Business Award, organized by Absa and the Zululand Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
She was also among the top 20 candidates in the United Nations Development Programme-led Agri-Tech and Aqua-Tech Acceleration Programme, which aims to strengthen innovation in sustainable agriculture.
Through that program, Nyavo is developing a project that he says can advance environmentally responsible farming. “I am working on creating my own drone that will be sustainable, using bio-fertilizers and pesticides to contribute to the sustainability of our environment and food security,” she said. He said the project is designed to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction.