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20 December 2019 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Anja Aucamp
Sprouting Hope
Shadei Lepholletse, BSc Genetics and Physiology; Masabata Sebusi, BCom Accounting; and Tumelo Zondi, BCom Entrepreneurial Management; three of the directors of Sprout Africa, an agriculture and agri-processing company - the perceived potential of which has earned them each a place on the list of News24’s 100 Young Mandelas of the Future.

Enactus, 100 Young Mandelas of the Future, Sprout Africa, Masabata Sebusi, Shadei Lepholletse, Tumelo Zondi, and Farai Mzungu

Kovsie students’ innovative agri-processing venture is paying off. Two years ago, a seed of resolve was planted in four young UFS women. They entered the Enactus National Competition for entrepreneurship projects –and came stone last.

But instead of giving up, they re-grouped, re-evaluated their priorities, and came up with an innovative agri-processing community-upliftment concept that has earned each of them a place on News24’s list of 100 Young Mandelas of the Future.

“We asked ourselves what the big businesses out there were looking for when it came to community development. At that stage, we focused on arts and crafts and recycling. But we realised the need was for projects providing solutions around food insecurity, water management, and sustainable development,” explains Masabata Sebusi, final-year BCom Accounting student.

Masabata and her three partners, Shadei Lepholletse, Tumelo Zondi, and Farai Mzungu, are all studying in different fields. They pooled their diverse insights, knowledge, and perspectives. And Sprout Africa was born.

The company’s aim is to give people in rural communities training in modern farming techniques, equipping them with basic business skills and helping them to find an outlet for their produce. As part of the process, the women approached potential business partners – from local supermarkets to big commercial companies – to negotiate on behalf of the farmers.

This time, they seem to have struck the right nerve. Having won various grants while the concept as still an Enactus project, they have since registered Sprout Africa as a company. Various stakeholders have already shown interest to partner with them.

Their main advice to fellow entrepreneurs: Think outside the box, find innovative ways to solve problems, learn from the communities you serve, and collaborate with people who have different skills from you.

Except for Farai, who graduated earlier this year, all of them are in their final year of study. Next year, they won’t be job hunting like other new graduates. They’ll simply be stepping full time into their innovative enterprise.

An enterprise that promises to keep on sprouting and growing. And hopefully produce seeds of inspiration for other students to pick up.

News Archive

Dr Henry Jordaan’s research to establish benchmarks for sustainable freshwater use in agri-food industries
2014-08-22

 

 Photo: en.wikipedia.org

Dr Henry Jordaan, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics, is working on a multi-disciplinary research project for the Water Research Commission. The project assesses the water footprints of selected agri-food products that are derived from field and forage crops produced under irrigation in South Africa. These foods include animal products, such as meat and dairy, and crop products such as bread and maize meal.

“The water footprint of a food product is the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the product, measured from the farm to the actual consumption of the food product. Thus, the water footprint is a good indicator of the impact that the consumption of a product has on our scarce freshwater resource. The agri-food sector is a major user of freshwater in South Africa with a relatively large water footprint,” says Dr Jordaan.

However, the agri-food sector also has an important role in economic development in South Africa. It generates income and employment opportunities along the value chains of the food products.

The challenge is to maximise the economic and social benefits from using freshwater in an environment where freshwater gets increasingly scarce.

Through his research, Dr Jordaan aims to establish benchmarks for sustainable freshwater use in selected agri-food industries – from an environmental, economic and social perspective. These benchmarks will inform water users on the acceptable volumes of freshwater to use to produce food products. It will also inform users of the economic and social benefits that they are being expected to generate through their actions so that their water use behaviour could be considered sustainable.


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