His early schooling was at Ncihana Junior Secondary School, where he stayed from foundation phase to Grade 9 before moving to Qumbu for high school. That early experience of rural life also brought him closer to farming.
Apart from the influence of his immediate environment, Lizalise was also inspired by his brother, Xolisa Jabe, who had never formally studied farming but had a deep love for it. The two brothers began to share an interest in agriculture and the possibilities it could offer their community.
For Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, innovation often begins with lived experience. “Lizalise’s journey demonstrates how local knowledge can become a catalyst for entrepreneurial foresight and transformative impact. Agriculture is not simply about production. It is about dignity, livelihoods, sustainability, and creating futures where communities can thrive.”
Diversification: a powerful weapon in agriculture
“I believe both my brother and I have the common goal of creating job opportunities and alleviating poverty in our community,” says Lizalise.
That thinking led Lizalise to study BAgric, specialising in mixed production. Rather than relying on a single enterprise, he wants to combine different forms of production so that one can support another when conditions are difficult.
“I believe diversification is the most powerful weapon to use on a farm. If one enterprise fails, then the other one will substitute, so the business can keep growing,” he says.
Today, Lizalise has started building his own small farming enterprise. He owns goats, cattle, and sheep, and employs two of his friends to look after the livestock while he studies. “I can make a huge change by providing job opportunities and fighting against poverty,” he says.
He has also started a small foundation through which he speaks to peers and children about making positive choices, often using agriculture to show them what is possible.
His own experience has also influenced the way he thinks about his future. He remembers going to school without food and growing up in a community where basic services and educational resources were limited. “Coming from a poorly developed town that lacked every service – not only agricultural resources but a lot of things, including the education system – was challenging,” he says. “Although it was very challenging, I survived and learnt under those unacceptable conditions.”
Against that background, being accepted to study at the UFS is something Lizalise is particularly proud of. Now, his nomination for Student of the Year in Agriculture at the South African Agricultural Awards (taking place on 16 October 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre) adds another milestone to a journey that has taken him from a rural community in the Eastern Cape to university. The awards recognise people across farming, agribusiness, and the culinary arts and, in partnership with
AgriSETA, also support skills development, training, and mentorship.
What happens next matters most to Lizalise. He wants to use what he learns through his studies to make a meaningful impact by contributing to food security and rural development, creating opportunities for young people, and introducing better farming practices, technology, and entrepreneurship to communities where resources can be limited.
Looking at agriculture differently
He also wants other students to look at agriculture differently. “Agriculture is not only about working on a farm,” he says. “It involves science, technology, business, environmental sustainability, research, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Believe in the importance of this field and do not underestimate its potential.”
While there is much he still wants to learn, Lizalise has already learnt that setbacks are part of the process. His advice to other aspiring farmers is simple: “Failure in agriculture is a lesson to keep moving and improving, because farmers never fail, but they make mistakes.” Having started out herding cattle in the Eastern Cape, Lizalise finds it a fitting way to look ahead: keep learning, keep trying, and keep growing.
His determination and commitment to agriculture have not gone unnoticed.
Prof Johan van Niekerk, Deputy Dean: Agriculture in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS, says the nomination is well deserved. “We are very proud of him,” he comments.
Doré Lourens, who presented Science Skills to Lizalise on the UFS South Campus last year, commends the impact he is making in his community and the example he is setting for others. “By transforming knowledge into action, Lizalise is proving that one person’s vision can cultivate lasting change in an entire community. He is planting seeds of hope that will grow into opportunities for generations to come. I am so proud of him!”
Echoing this sentiment, Prof Reddy says, “Lizalise’s nomination is more than a personal milestone. His entrepreneurial mindset, informed by learning and research, is a powerful driver of societal transformation. We celebrate him as a student, and for us, even as a nominee, he is a winner. His work reimagines possibilities, creates new value, and shapes the responsible societal futures we collectively seek.”