An epic 10 000 kilometres through SA
The United Nations has stated that we have only 60 years of soil left and already 52% of agricultural soil is degraded globally.
Save Soil ambassador Tseke Nkadimeng, a 45-year-old South African businessman and entrepreneur, has taken it upon
himself to muster support from the citizenry to turn the tide for the well-being of our society and future generations.
Tseke walked an epic 10,000 km across South Africa over eight months, in collaboration with the global Save Soil Movement, to raise awareness among fellow South Africans about our seriously-depleted soil health.
He passed through Parys on Friday, 24 March, where he was interviewed by Parys Tourism Radio. By then he had completed over 7,500 km starting from his hometown, Dullstroom in Mpumalanga, passing through Barberton, Nongoma, Durban, Bloemfontein, East London, Middleburg, Cape Town, the Karoo, and finally Polokwane, Johannesburg, and Pretoria.
He completed his 250th day and epic 10 000 km Save Soil Walk target in Johannesburg on the 1st of April.
The United Nations has stated that we have only 60 years of soil left and already 52% of agricultural soil is degraded globally.
This means that we here in South Africa could start experiencing the effects of food scarcity and soil extinction within the next 10-15 years.
Soil, the basis of life on this planet, is globally in danger of desertification. Desertification is characterized by soil having
insufficient organic content (animal and plant matter).
In Africa, the average organic content in agricultural land is scarily well below 1%.
We need a minimum of 3% – 6% to call agricultural soil healthy (enough to keep microbes in soil on a survival diet). Lack of organic content in soil, results in lack of nutrition in food, thereby resulting in malnutrition.
Moreover, desertification means soil will produce less food over time, resulting in famines and forced migration.
South Africa is also facing extreme weather effects from lack of water to floods.
Soil rich in organic content and managed well can absorb rainfall better, preventing both flash flooding and drought.
Soil rich in organic content retains waterand can slowly release these over time keeping plants hydrated where there is low rainfall, and keeping rivers flowing for longer.
Increasing organic content in soil reduces water required for irrigation significantly.
The aim of this global Save Soil movement, is to support citizens in finding out more about this impending soil crisis, and also supporting them in raising their voices to express their desire for something to be done about it.
Save Soil has received massive support globally by the United Nations and many influencers, and was addressed at the
COP15 & COP27 conference earlier this year.
Raising organic content in soils nationally could greatly improve agricultural, economic, emotional and physical wellbeing of all citizens in South Africa.
Save Soil is calling upon everyone to help stop this imminent soil extinction crisis and to protect our future.
Its aim is to inspire at least 3.5 billion people (60% of the world’s electorate) to support environmentally-conscious
governance decisions.
This will then drive national policy changes toward raising the organic content to a minimum of 3%-6%.
Tseke’s walk has been inspired by the Save Soil founder, Sadhguru, who completed a 100 day, 30 000km lone motorcycle ride across Europe and Asia from March to June last year.
So far, over 80 countries have pledged support, however we need all 193 countries including South Africa to join.
