It’s been a year since Food For Mzansi last spoke to the guys of Oracle Farming Technologies and, boy, are they busy. Kutlwano Tisane and Percyval Alset have certainly come a long way since doing a school project with Lerato Maphoto in 2013 on curbing malnutrition in Mzansi – and then turning it into a business.
As a company that designs and builds hydroponic systems, Oracle Farming Technologies have not only increased their brand visibility, but they have also expanded into large-scale projects.
“Our long-term goals include establishing globally positioned hydroponic farms,” he says, adding that they are well aware that technology is a marathon, not a sprint. So they are working hard with a team of collaborators to find the perfect balance between first-world technology and third-world needs, as well as the future trend of automation and creating jobs.
The only way is up
“There will be nothing but growth in the sector if and when all stakeholders play their roles. Every day, many farmers wake up energised and eager to make a difference,” says Tisane.
They are also hard set on contributing to their community – that’s why they continue to share knowledge and skills with the younger generation. “We recognise that the success of the hydroponic industry is reliant on the amount of awareness. Oracle has made it our primary responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint through our quick education efforts, taking the concept of hydroponics to primary schools and teaching the younger generation on the subject.
“The future of South Africa is in the hands of our children, and it is to them that we expose our work, particularly in quintile 4 schools, bridging the gap between their reality and their limited resources.”
They have come a long way from school, and they make manufacturing look so cool!
ALSO READ: Rustenburg youngsters dream of running Mzansi’s biggest hydroponics business
Share your own farm photo story with Food For Mzansi. Send 10 to 20 photos, along with a few details like name, location, size and summary of your farming enterprise, to info@foodformzansi.co.za.
ALSO READ: Celebrate with Ncumisa – she’s expanding!
Get Stories of Change: Inspirational stories from the people that feed Mzansi.
