Martin Boima

Youth in Agriculture

Nominee's Province:
Limpopo

Age:
27

Project Name/Description:

More info:

The Limpopo Provincial Government and its social partners, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) as well as the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), remain committed to youth development. The NYDA is South Africa’s national custodian of youth affairs, while SEDA is a multipurpose hub aimed at meeting various business needs for SMEs. Through this partnership, the provincial government reaffirms its support to the youth of Limpopo in every stage of their lives as they contend against the challenges of unemployment, poverty and lack of skills. Martin Boima, founder and Director of Martin’s Nature Care (Pty) Ltd, is one of the many beneficiaries of the NYDA and SEDA collaborative partnership. Boima’s small business is a brave leap into the future of food which presents the marketplace with a possible alternative to crowded feed lots and battery chickens. The 27-years-old entrepreneur from Bolobedu Village in Greater Letaba Municipality established his agro-processing business in October, 2020. He was assisted by SEDA. Boima’s story is one of resilience, passion and an unquenchable desire for knowledge. “I walked the long road from collecting and cooking termites as a child around my father’s fire, to employing local experts to collect soldier termites from the mud mounds and turn them into specialised snacks. These are not the reproductive flying termites which are only available once a year for a few weeks. These are “Makeke”, the soldiers, which are available year-round if one knows how to find and entice them out,” he shares the narrative of his life. “I have developed a unique flour, which is gluten free, high in protein and good fats, and can be utilised as the main constituent of energy bars or biscuits or used as an addictive to increase the protein content of conventional cereal flour,” he illustrates. Boima’s work is supported by science and research, and has passed quality assurance assessments. The termites themselves were analysed for their nutritional value at the University of Limpopo, and once the bars were developed, their nutritional analysis was again tested by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) for correct labelling when packaged. Martin’s Nature Care has been actively in business for just three years, but has already proved to be a viable and valuable startup, providing employment and community growth. With financial support from the NYDA, the business has managed to grow, employing 3 registered staff members and 15 students from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) as well as Nelson Mandela University (NMU).