Introduction
Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics within a single system. You grow the plants (vegetables) hydroponically using the fish waste as the main source of nutrients. The plants in turn purify the water for the fish.
Notes on aquaponics are provided on role player websites (see heading 2). Benefits of the system include:
- A small system can be fitted into backyards
- Low labour requirement
- No weeds or pests
- No soil cultivation necessary
- No wastage of water
- Fish waste utilised
- Higher yields and quality
- Constant production throughout the year
Ensure that you have a market for the organic produce (vegetables and fish) before you set up an aquaponic production system.
Role players
View the Premium Listings below (scroll down or click on “Premium Listings” on the Table of Contents to the right).
Websites and publications
Visit the websites listed earlier on this page.
- Find the information on www.fao.org. This includes documents like Small-scale aquaponic food production. Integrated fish and plant farming. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 589.
- Read the PDF aquaponics grower notes by the ARC.
- Find YouTube videos like “Aquaponics” (Purdue University) and “Small scale aquaponics”.
- Visit the Aquaponic and Hydroponic farming in Africa pages on Facebook.
- Watch “Verticulture – Aquaponic Farming” at https://12stepstofarming.net/portfolio/verticulture/.
- Find the “Aquaponics” option at www.technologywater.com
- Open Source Ecology teaches people to complete modern sustainable Projects like aquaponics. Online courses can be taken from anywhere in the world. Take a look at http://opensourceecology.org.
Some articles
- Find our blog “Sappi Southern Africa launches innovative aquaponics venture” at www.agribook.co.za/sappi-southern-africa-launches-innovative-aquaponics-venture
- Tembo P. 2025, April 29. “Aquaponics basics: Get your system thriving”. Food for Mzansi. Available at www.foodformzansi.co.za/aquaponics-basics-get-your-system-thriving/
- Tembo P. 2025, March 31. “Sustainable champion: MJ dreams of taking aquaponics to townships”. Food for Mzansi. Available at www.foodformzansi.co.za/sustainable-champion-mj-dreams-of-taking-aquaponics-to-townships
- Price I. 2024, November 20. “Gugulethu wins R250k for sustainable aquaponics farm”. Food for Mzansi. Available at www.foodformzansi.co.za/gugulethu-wins-r250k-for-sustainable-aquaponics-farm
- Laldas J. 2024, March 4. “How aquaponics is being used to feed communities”. Farmer’s Weekly. Available at www.farmersweekly.co.za/agri-business/empowerment/how-aquaponics-is-being-used-to-feed-communities/
- Reporter. 2024, September 16. “TIA launches nanobubble aquaponics pilot plant”. Engineering News. Available at www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/tia-launches-nanobubble-aquaponics-pilot-plant-2024-09-16
- Tembo P. 2024, July 29. “Luvo gets township communities hooked on aquaponics”. Food for Mzansi. Available at www.foodformzansi.co.za/luvo-gets-township-communities-hooked-on-aquaponics
- Pikoli Z. 2023, June 15. “University of Johannesburg pioneering innovative use of aquaponics and sandponics to enable Food Justice for all”. Daily Maverick. Available at www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-06-15-university-of-johannesburg-pioneering-innovative-use-of-aquaponics-and-sandponics-to-enable-food-justice-for-all/
- Ryan J. 2023, June 13. “Hydroponics or aquaponics: Which is right for you?” Farmer’s Weekly. Available at www.farmersweekly.co.za/farming-basics/how-to-business/hydroponics-or-aquaponics-which-is-right-for-you/
- Marais S. 2022, September 16. “How aquaponics is benefitting children at a Gauteng school”. Farmer’s Weekly. Available at www.farmersweekly.co.za/agri-business/empowerment/how-aquaponics-is-benefitting-children-at-a-gauteng-school/
- Du Toit M. 2022, June 1. “How aquaponics can produce top-quality crops and higher yields”. Farmer’s Weekly. Available at www.farmersweekly.co.za/agri-business/agribusinesses/how-aquaponics-can-produce-top-quality-crops-and-higher-yields/
- Reporter. 2021, December 21. “Getting Started With Aquaponics”. SA Smallholder. Available at https://sasmallholder.co.za/2021/12/13/aquaponics/
- Rossouw H. 2019, November 22. “VIDEO: Laerskool Kempton Park’s aquaponics garden thrives”. Kempton Express. Available at https://kemptonexpress.co.za/218422/laerskool-kempton-parks-aquaponics-still-thriving/
- Oon S. 2019, June 6. “Aquaponics: Sustainable Urban Farming”. Food Unfolded. Available at www.foodunfolded.com/article/aquaponics-sustainable-urban-farming
- Woods R. 2019, February 19. “How to Grow With Aquaponics in 5 Simple Steps”. Earth Easy. Available at https://learn.eartheasy.com/articles/how-to-grow-with-aquaponics-in-5-simple-steps/
- James, N. 2018, September 25. “The best fish species for aquaponics”. Farmer’s Weekly. Available at www.farmersweekly.co.za/animals/aquaculture/best-fish-species-aquaponics
- Kriel, G. 2017, August 18. “Aquaponics: ‘economy of scale is the key’”. Farmer’s Weekly. Available at www.farmersweekly.co.za/agri-business/agribusinesses/aquaponics-economy-scale-key/
- Aquaponics is “an emerging urban farming trend that’s ideal for big cities”. Read the article “Three Aquaponic farms in Brooklyn Killing It” on www.ecowatch.com. One of these urban aquaponic operations is VertiCulture.
