South Africa's queen bee charmer

The Village Market SA
South Africa (Winterveldt)

Although farming still seems like an un-cool career option to many young people, Mmabatho Morudi wants to change the face of agriculture: “It’s known as a business for old, dirty looking males in khakis. But I can still rock my stilettos and be a farmer.”

When the agri-preneur’s grandfather invited her to go on a beekeeping course four years ago, she never imagined it would take her this far.

Soon after resigning from her job in education, the 32 year old started her beekeeping business, Iliju, on her grandfather’s farm in Winterveldt, northwest of Pretoria. The agricultural village is land where black people were allowed to buy plots specifically for agricultural purposes during apartheid. Shortly after starting the business Mmabatho realised that many of the farmers in the village struggled to market their produce and could use help improving their harvest.

“I asked a few of the farmers if I could place hives on their farms to help improve the quality of their produce, and buy their vegetables then sell them to clients in Johannesburg and Pretoria,” she says. The more the farmers planted the more the bees had food to survive, which led them to pollinate and help grow more vegetables. “We now go to different rural communities and empower them by giving hives, which make honey that they sell back to us.”

This has become a huge part of Mmabatho’s business and she now runs The Village Market, which sells vegetables and honey straight from the farmers to the consumer. They’re also working with animal protection organisation Elephants Rhinos and People on the border of South Africa and Mozambique, where they train communities – including children and youth – in beekeeping. “There is a huge problem on the border for small scale farmers, with elephants raiding crops and charging at farmers. We introduced the bee fence, which is made up of hives that keep the elephants away. The honey which comes from the hives is also sold to The Village Market, which means more business for the farmers.”

Mmabatho says her motivation is the potential of rural communities and her desire to showcase all the beautiful things that come from them. “This business is about working hard and in agriculture nothing is guaranteed. But you have to keep going because giving up is not an option.”

AtlasAction: Purchase products so that The Village Farm SA can keep impacting communities.

Written by

Adapted from a piece from Red Bull Amaphiko (22 May 2017)

Bio

Red Bull Amaphiko is a global platform that supports social entrepreneurs – those pioneers, change makers, innovators who use their talent, creativity, and energy to make a positive change in their corner of the world, in a sustainable way. And spreads these stories to inspire a wider audience.

Project leader

Mmabatho Morudi

Support the Atlas

We want the Atlas of the Future media platform and our event to be available to everybody, everywhere for free – always. Fancy helping us spread stories of hope and optimism to create a better tomorrow? For those able, we'd be grateful for any donation.

Creative Commons License

Comments

 

  1. Kone

    Limpopo

Take me somewhere
Close
Take me somewhere
Close
Data Protection Act: LOPD.
In compliance with Organic Law 15/1999, of 13 of December, on Personal Data Protection, and the development of Rules of Procedure, approved by Royal Decree 1720/2007, of 21 of December, Atlas of the Future subscribers may be required to provide Personal Data, which will be included in a file owned by Democratising The Future Society SL. Such file is duly incorporated in the Spanish Data Protection Agency and protected in compliance with the security measures established in the applicable legislation. Subscribers may exercise, at any time, their rights of access, rectification, cancellation and/or opposition regarding their Personal Data. The subscriber shall notice their will, either under written form addressed to Democratising The Future Society SL, Ref. LOPD, Calabria, 10 6-3 08015 - Barcelona (Spain) and/or by e-mail, clicking here. Also, the subscriber shall communicate Atlas of the Future any modifications of their Personal Data stored, so that the information stored by Atlas of the Future remains at all times updated and error-free.
Close
Get World-changing projects and news in your inbox weekly.