Amidst the rolling hills of KwaBiyela in KwaZulu-Natal, Mbali Sithole’s love of nature has grown into something more – a blooming career in agro-processing. This determined young woman is driven by her desire to learn and improve her skills, and her enthusiasm is contagious.
Her interest in farming was kickstarted in 2020 while she was doing an internship at Bizathina Technologies (Pty) Ltd as a financial management graduate from Umfolozi TVET College. She used her stipend to start a chicken layer business.
Sithole’s poultry business required constant care and attention, but she had to balance it with her internship in Richards Bay. She did not have the time to maintain her chicken operation properly and had put it on hold.
“Despite the community’s excitement about my business’s success, I quickly realised that I didn’t have the time and energy to give it the full attention it needed,” she says.
Farming is contagious
Inspired by her fiancé, Dumisani Biyela, who was already a moringa farmer, Sithole decided to venture into the moringa business. She founded Tata’s Farm and started on a piece of land the size of a soccer field in the Bhucanana district of KwaBiyela.
The farm focuses on agro-processing moringa, by using the trees to produce various products such as moringa powder, bath soap, and oil. In addition, Sithole grows vegetables like spinach, green pepper, peri-peri, cucumber, carrots, and butternut.
“Our farm provides a variety of vegetables that help support our business operations. From spinach to green pepper, peri-peri to cucumber, carrots to butternut, we strive to provide the freshest produce.”
Sithole says they selected moringa because it thrives in Bhucanana and requires less maintenance in terms of water use.
“We are limited in the types of crops we can grow due to the water shortages in our area, and moringa just so happens to fit well with the climate here.”
She explains that while the water shortages in the area have posed challenges, they have not given up on growing vegetables. This is because vegetables are an important source of income for their business.
They supply vegetables at different locations, including Mondini High School, Sabokwe Primary School, Prince Mkhombisi High School, and Mancence Village. This helps them to bring in revenue and support their business.
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Why is moringa relevant?
Mzansi’s diverse agricultural economy depends heavily on plant-based oils, which are used in a variety of products, Sithole explains.
“Plant-based oils are an important part of our industrial sector, economy, and health, as they’re used in a variety of products, from biofuels to cooking oil.”
She points out that the production of plant-based oils, including moringa, is therefore crucial in Mzansi, as it has a positive impact on all of these areas.
“Working with my fiancé in business has been a positive experience. The division of responsibilities between us has been effective and has contributed to our business’s growth.”
Sithole adds that she handles all of the administration and finances, and her financial management background helps them manage their funds effectively.
Meanwhile, Biyela has obtained moringa cultivation and processing training, as well as HACCP certification, confirming his skill and qualification in this field.
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Longing for her own land
Sithole says the biggest challenge they face is the water-scarce environment, which makes it difficult to expand into other farming ventures. Another challenge is land ownership, as the land they are currently leasing communal land.
“Due to a lack of available farming space, we’ve had to use my aunt’s garage as a temporary production space.”
Sithole explains that they have three hectares of land, but it is not yet ready for use due to a lack of fencing and other preparation work.
She shares that their business is already supplying moringa soap bars to Phamhands in Durban, and Vukani Gardens. They are also selling moringa powder in the local community, and it has been well-received.
However, they feel that their oil is not yet ready for supermarkets or retail and are still working on improving its quality and safety for human consumption.
Sithole has already come so far, but she is far from done because she believes opportunities are there if you are willing to work hard.
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