PROFILE Mahlolane
PROFILE Mahlolane Agricultural Projects Creating sustainable employment. Vision To create sustainable employment opportunities for young people and encourage them to look no further than farming. How do we realise that goal? Seek partnerships with provincial government and agricultural schools to provide internships and create export markets. Mahlolane Agricultural Projects is an agricultural production company currently operating at remotely located Lepelle Nkumpi Municipality. The company was formed in 2014. Production capability is based on 30 hectares of land that is prepared for crops, which include tomatoes, green peppers, cabbage and spinach. There are 15 employees, with scope for at least 30 more people to be employed. Underpinning the project is the idea that hard work promotes peace and happiness. This is captured in the Latin saying “Labor pacemque felicium”. Mission statement To demonstrate crop farming as a sustainable commercial venture for young and seasoned farmers. Company objectives • The company’s short- to medium-term ambitions are to attract tourism through crop- and stock-farming activities. • Our company to be used as an agricultural school for primary and secondary schools to visit and learn first-hand about farming. • To provide local crèches and primary schools with crops and vegetables at affordable prices. • To encourage retail stores and supermarkets at shopping malls to buy local, freshly produced products. • To serve and aid strong and aggressive protection of food security in our province. ONLINE RESOURCES Mahlakoleng Village, Ga–Mphahlele 0736 Limpopo Province General Manager, Pontsho Gloria Mooa Tel: 076 296 8544 Non-executive Director, Richard Mooa Tel: 082 467 3049 Email: richardm@globeflight.com LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2019/20 42
Making farming a success story FOCUS Ambitious plans to grow Mahlolane Agricultural Projects into a sustainable model. Non-executive Director, Richard Mooa Richard Mooa is a man on a mission. As a man who has achieved success in more than one field, he set out in 2014 to plough back to the community and environment where he grew up. As he puts it, it was his way of saying, “Thank you for raising me, I now want to do something for you.” The vehicle was Mahlolane Agricultural Projects (Pty) Ltd, which has continued to grow over the five years of its existence, and now stands ready to further expand, if sufficient support can be found and beneficial partnerships can be created. Tackling problems The project was designed as a sizeable, affordable and wellmanaged project to relieve the pain of hunger among povertystricken people, especially families without breadwinners, from nearby villages in the Lepelle Nkumpi Municipality area in the Capricorn District Municipality. The other major goal was to address the question of jobless youth wandering the streets aimlessly and hopelessly. These are the youth without any formal education or any form of training that could help them to support themselves. Farming was chosen as the solution, the way to bring hope and selfconfidence to these two target groups. The project faced many challenges, not least from people who did not believe that it could work. But Mooa was driven. Remembering that time, he says, “Just because I did not know where I was at that time, did not mean that I did not know where I wanted to be.” He wanted to help people and make a difference in their lives. Partnerships Of the project’s current status Mooa is upbeat, “I am so delighted at the progress so far,” but he wants the project to achieve much more. He is looking for partnerships and the support of agricultural institutions and departments at local, provincial and national levels. There are many reasons to support MAP, both social and economic. These include: • the creation of employment for local people • encouragement of youngsters to work and get to love farming as a career • the use of animal manure as a means of soil fertilisation • local pride in a special project of its own • employees being given a chance to be leaders in their own right. Huge potential The challenges faced by the project are real, not least the dryness and the heat of the area and the fact that movable assets require constant repairs and maintenance. Access to capital would make it possible to expand production, sink boreholes, install a pivot irrigation system, fence off areas and buy seed and equipment. A marketing strategy and a website would help the project achieve its full potential. Potential partners – private and public – could provide the assistance to take this project a long way. “We are blessed in that we work with young and highly ambitious people, determined to be role models in their own rights,” says Richard Mooa. “We believe we have a viable and highly profitable commodity here,” he says. Moving to the next level will depend on the quality and quantity of resources that are made available. 43 LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2019/20
