OwnGrown - About us | Off-Grid Living Systems Cape Town

THE OWNGROWN WAY

We are a small and dedicated team passionate about the environment. We design, build and manage high quality, off-grid systems for water, garden and power needs. From small home gardens to large commercial developments, our mission is to make ecologically-sensitive living accessible to more people in urban areas. We’re passionate about helping our clients find a more ecologically sensitive approach to city living and continue to search for ways to help our clients improve their home or work environments. We love sharing our knowledge of all things green and are constantly striving for a more holistic approach in every aspect of our own lives.We ourselves are ecologically mindful and guided by the principles of Permaculture, a solutions-based design science which aims to mimic systems found in nature and reduce reliance on external resources. At OwnGrown we’re always striving to find new, regenerative and innovative ways of living in harmony with nature.

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OwnGrown … Holistic earth-friendly living.

Mike Bird

Director

Mike, director of OwnGrown, is a strong believer in capacity building and therefore seeks staff who have a genuine interest in ecologically minded living. He cultivates these interests by increasing staff knowledge through ongoing training while exploring new systems through OwnGrown’s varied client projects.

Furthermore, he is interested in bridging the gap between earth-sensitive methodologies and contemporary landscape design and building. He has a keen interest in urban renewal and regenerative land care, with a dedicated focus to providing improved integration between people and place. A passionate individual with a firm grounding and background in Permaculture and Project and systems management. Mike has worked extensively within the gardening and landscape sectors locally and abroad. In addition, he spent five years working within the super-yacht industry in Europe, especially relevant to system design and implementation.

Mike is committed to working within the environmental sector and consequently enjoys hands-on design and implementation of regenerative and sustainable off-grid systems, as well as practical facilitation and skills training.

Prince Simango

Logistics + Operations

Prince joined OwnGrown in 2013 and oversees the installations and maintenance teams on site. With experience in plumbing, paving and gardens, he is quite the “all-rounder”. Prince has grown with business expanding on his knowledge in order to provide high quality service in all that he does. His favourite part of his job is on-site training, showing clients and their staff how to take care of their water systems, rainwater harvesting systems, grey water systems, gardens, perform integrated pest management, make compost and maintain their worm farms. Capacity building is the name of the game!

With a true interest in off-grid systems, Prince is the first to borrow the various books available to the OwnGrown staff and enjoys attending courses related to his work. He is dedicated to his work and to his colleagues, which makes him the perfect person to lead the team on site.

Cassiem Yaghya

Water Technician

Cassiem has been a member of the OwnGrown team since the beginning of 2019. A local Capetonian and a qualified Artisan Plumber, he has over 18 years’ experience in the plumbing industry and brings with him a wealth of knowledge to the team. With a strong drive towards structure and quality, he assists the team in managing multi-contract water filtration and purification systems, ensuring that all installations are carried out to the best possible standard.

At heart Cassiem is a true family man and savours his time home with his children and dogs. He is diligent and dedicated to the work that he does. OwnGrown is proud to have him part of our ever growing team.

Tara von Ribbeck

Office Manager

Tara joined the team as Office Manager in 2013. Although not out on site, she aims to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes, helping the teams to focus on design, project management and all things off-grid. She oversees the accounts, HR, marketing and administration. She is passionate about the environment, humanitarian issues and helping OwnGrown grow! She enjoys growing her own food for her small family at home.

Previously, Tara worked in general management and human resources for a well-known Cape Town wine estate. She has worked with an NPO providing HIV education and testing throughout SA, and managed partnerships with other NPO’s and various communities. An acquaintance of Mike’s, Tara is excited to be part of OwnGrown, a company with a vision and philosophy in line with her personal principles. As a mother, she feels it is important for everyone to do what they can to reduce their impact on the environment. She believes small changes can make a big difference if we all work together.