Help Me Continue My Rural Design Research

Hi, my name is Montle Matsimela, a 23 year old designer from a village in Limpopo.

I am raising funds to help me pay off 60% of my 2025 Industrial Design Honours tuition debt, so that I can register for my Masters in 2027 at the University of Johannesburg and continue my agricultural social innovation research.

Growing up, I was taught that as an African child, you must recognize the challenges in your community, go out and learn, and return with solutions.

In my village, agriculture and home gardening were once part of everyday life. It shaped who we are. But over time, I began to notice that fewer people were investing in farming and growing their own food.

That realization stayed with me.

In 2025, I conducted my Honours research, where I explored how design can help revive agricultural practices in rural communities. Through this work, I discovered that many South African rural communities are facing the same challenge.

This project is not just about design, it is about restoring a way of life and creating systems that are familiar, accessibl...