Indigenous African ingredients and food traditions are underrepresented on the local and international markets. Black Umbrellas Global Entrepreneur Week 2018 overall winner Sipamandla Manqele founded her unique agribusiness to help bridge this gap.
Local Village, based in Bryanston, Johannesburg, produces breakfast cereal and packages indigenous African superfoods that are grown sustainably.
According to its founder and owner, Sipamandla Manqele, the agribusiness was founded on a vision of a network of vibrant, local agripreneurs across the continent supplying equitably sourced and sustainably grown indigenous African ingredients.
She says her passion for Africa and the development of its people is expressed in one of her business’s founding principles: to source ingredients from mainly small-scale and local farmers.
The food company makes granola and also sells grains, legumes, flour and the African superfoods teff, roselle and plantain flour.
“I’m committed to contributing to the development of our beloved continent,” she says.
A BORN ENTREPRENEUR
Manqele grew up in rural Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape. She says she has always been interested in starting her own business and developing her community. While in Grade 11, she registered her first business manufacturing toilet paper. But this company never took off.
“The equipment was available but the demands of school became too difficult for me to continue the venture. I had to let go of the idea,” she says.
In 2010, she went to the University of KwaZulu-Natal to study for a degree in social sciences, majoring in community development and entrepreneurship.
After graduating in 2014, she moved to Johannesburg, where she landed her first job at an asset management company. She worked there for 18 months, but her desire to start her own business soon re-emerged. She decided to explore the food industry, as she had grown up in an area where people’s income came mainly from agricultural products.
She quit her job, and started selling free-range chicken around the Sandton area.
This story is from the Farmers Weekly 15 March 2019 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Farmers Weekly 15 March 2019 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
New farmers' seedling pitfalls
Inexperienced farmers may be tempted to grow seedlings from seed themselves, but they have much to gain by trusting a seedling grower at a nursery to perform this task for them instead
South African avocado production: a success story
Avocado production in South Africa has expanded markedly since the industry's humble beginnings over 80 years ago. From a small grove planted in 1938 in what was then Nelspruit, the industry has blossomed to seven million trees planted on 20 000ha. Dr Guy Witney, project manager at Great Brak Avos, spoke to Annelie Coleman about the country's avocado production.
Unlocking value through livestock exports
Exporting livestock might sound like a daunting business that's better left for big companies, but Gerrie Ferreira, who farms near Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape, has been doing it successfully for almost 30 years, sometimes in partnership with other breeders. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the huge potential this market holds, and offers some advice for farmers who are contemplating going this route.
An agribusiness's dedication to community upliftment
For agribusiness NWK, located in Lichtenburg, North West, corporate social investment is an important part of creating a positive influence alongside financial returns. Johan Bezuidenhout, NWK’s group manager of corporate marketing and communication, spoke to Annelie Coleman about why the company chooses to invest millions of rands in the area it operates in every year.
Empowering dreams, transforming lives
Since its launch in 2013, the Agri's Got Talent competition has revolutionised the lives of many farmworkers by unlocking their hidden talents and fostering a culture of empowerment. Glenneis Kriel spoke to various finalists about how the contest has changed their lives.
Foreign investment: agriculture maintains its appeal
South Africa remains a popular destination for foreign investors, despite an often negative outlook from its citizens. It is a gateway to Africa, and with its counterseasonal production to the Northern Hemisphere and favourable weather, local agriculture is especially well placed to attract foreign interest, bringing with it hope for rural communities
The real value and message of COP29 for SA agriculture
While the 2024 Conference of the Parties may have disappointed those who hoped for real progress, it's more important for South African agriculture to highlight its role in carbon mitigation
Improving efficiencies in feed and grain milling
Bühler, a Swiss-based company that provides solutions and equipment for various industries, including food and animal feed processing, has pledged that by 2025, it will deliver scalable solutions that will reduce energy, waste and water by 50% in the value chains of its customers.
Tips for better olive production
At an SA Olive Association field day in November, industry experts shared ways to improve olive production efficiencies, from soil preparation to harvesting.
More effort needed to protect vulnerable cheetah
On International Cheetah Day, commemorated every year on 4 December, emphasis was placed on the vulnerability of the species.
