Skip to main content

Training Academy

Learn the science of
water-fed agriculture

Three practical tracks — Aquaculture Basics, Hydroponic Plant Nutrition and Aquaponics Integration — built around Prof. Mmaditshaba Rapatsa-Malatji's research and tested in South African conditions.

Why the Academy exists

Science that leaves the lab and reaches the farm.

Peer-reviewed aquaculture and hydroponic research is too often locked inside journals. The Nana Organics Training Academy translates that work into curricula a South African producer, student or backyard grower can actually use — on a real water source, with real crops, on a real budget.

The three tracks

One curriculum, three doors in

Take them individually, or sequence them — Aquaculture → Hydroponics → Aquaponics — to master the full closed-loop story.

Track 01

Aquaculture Basics

Everything you need to keep tilapia or catfish healthy, fast-growing and ethically raised. Water quality, feed regimes, stocking density, grow-out planning and pond/tank biosecurity — the foundations of fish farming done right.

Read and manage your water chemistry confidently
Plan feed rates and grow-out cycles
Recognise stress and disease early
Stock and harvest a small tilapia or catfish system
6 weeks Online + 1 site visit

For: Smallholders, students, new fish farmers

Track 02

Hydroponic Plant Nutrition

Get the absolute most out of the Nana Organics MICRO, GROW and BLOOM range. EC, pH, water profiles, stage-by-stage feeding and crop-specific schedules for leafy greens, herbs and fruiting crops — calibrated for South African tap and borehole water.

Mix MICRO / GROW / BLOOM precisely for any stage
Manage EC and pH across NFT, DWC and dutch-bucket systems
Diagnose deficiencies and lockouts visually
Build crop-specific feed charts for your setup
4 weeks Online + live Q&A

For: Home growers, market gardeners, commercial growers

Track 03

Aquaponics Integration

Where the previous two tracks meet — running the closed loop end-to-end. Component sizing, fish-to-plant ratios, biofilter design, nitrate cycling and troubleshooting an IBC backyard system or a UVI-style commercial raft.

Size fish tanks, biofilters and grow beds correctly
Cycle a new system safely and on time
Balance fish stocking with plant uptake
Operate a closed loop with almost zero discharge
8 weeks Hybrid — online + on-site

For: Aquaponics builders, agripreneurs, NGOs, schools

Who it's for

Built for South Africans who grow

Home & backyard growers

Wanting to feed a household with confidence and zero guesswork.

Schools & rural cooperatives

Building food-security projects with measurable results.

Commercial producers

Tightening margins through better nutrition and water-use efficiency.

Students & researchers

Bridging classroom theory and farm-floor practice in aquaculture and hydroponics.

Ready to learn water-fed agriculture properly?

Tell us a little about your setup and which track interests you — we'll help you choose the right starting point.