Local resident makes a name for herself in food security

Food security is a major concern in the country, with many households unable to afford enough of it.

This fact applies to disadvantaged communities where no one works, and they depend solely on social grants for food.

Maboang Matlou, an Ekurhuleni resident and the granddaughter of GM Pitje, and her family recognised this challenge in 2015.

ALSO READ: Beekeepers warn of fake honey

They established a moringa farm because they wanted to be part of ensuring food security in the country.

“Before farming moringa in 2015, we farmed spinach, green pepper, brinjal, cabbage, and cash crops.

“We learnt that the leaves of moringa trees burst with natural goodness.

“Moringa is a nutritious plant with many vitamins and minerals that assist daily nutrition. We realised it could help create food security, and that’s when the journey started,” said Matlou.

She said they started with 1 000 trees in 2015, and now the farm has 75 000 moringa trees.

“Today, the family co-operative, Lefakong Farming, has grown, and we have successfully started monetising every aspect of the business,” said Matlou.

She said patience and perseverance paid off, and, over the years, the farm has grown.

ALSO READ: Local students encouraged to secure food security in agriculture

“The farm has evolved over the years. We have achieved several milestones. We managed to build a processing unit and fulfil our farm-to-packet, thus owning the whole value chain,” said Matlou.

The agro-processing unit started in 2018 and is where all the magic happens.

The raw material is dried to make a powder, which, in turn, is packaged.

Some powder gets refined to make capsules, teabags, health salts, honey, alcoholic beverages such as gin and brandy, and cosmetic products.

They now supply their product in and around Ekurhuleni, too.