Junior Horticulturalist – Young Professional

About the role

NatCarbon Africa is looking for a motivated Junior Horticulturalist to join the Nursery Department in Jansenville, Eastern Cape. You will support day‑to‑day plant production for the large‑scale Spekboom Restoration Project, helping to restore degraded subtropical thicket biome while gaining hands‑on experience in a structured learning environment.

Key responsibilities

• Assist with daily nursery operations such as propagation, planting, watering, scouting, rogueing and general plant maintenance.
• Maintain optimal growing conditions through irrigation, fertilisation and environmental management to meet plant quality standards.
• Support plant health monitoring, conduct routine inspections for pests, diseases and nutrient deficiencies, and report findings.
• Help with sorting, moving and preparing plants for dispatch while keeping production areas clean and organised.
• Follow established nursery procedures, production schedules and integrated pest‑management protocols.

Required profile

• Recent graduate or early‑career professional with a passion for horticulture and sustainable agriculture.
• Ability to work safely and efficiently in a nursery setting.
• Willingness to learn and follow standard operating procedures.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing high‑quality plants.

Required skills

• Plant propagation techniques.
• Irrigation and fertilisation management.
• Integrated pest‑management (IPM) and pest/disease scouting.
• Plant health monitoring and nutrient deficiency identification.
• Nursery operations, including plant sorting and dispatch preparation.