Mmabatho Portia Morudi
Nominee's Province:
Gauteng
Project Name/Description:
The Village Market Africa
“Knowing that each day presents an opportunity for us to drive change in one’s community that would normally not have any opportunities presented to them, and knowing that we are playing our part in preserving the Earth for future generations.” These are the wise words of the young female farmer and visionary, Mmabatho Portia Morudi. The youngster from Winterveldt, north-west of Pretoria, co-founded her farming company, the Village Market Africa in 2011 with the aim of creating jobs, combating poverty in her community and to contribute to food security. Her farming business focuses on honey-bee farming while training community members to also get into the same industry. She says it is fulfilling to see that she is making a difference and changing lives through her efforts alongside her business partner, Desmond Morudi. The business has nine employees and has mentored 116 beneficiaries to learn to run their own businesses. The Village Market Africa recently won a contract with a supermarket chain store, which will see Morudi supply honey and byproducts to the franchise’s more than 130 stores around the country. “South Africa needs young people to proactively contribute towards innovative, environmentally and economically sustainable rural and agricultural development,” says Morudi. As part of our CSI programme, we have established a mentorship programme called Thuo Nala, which is focused on enabling young people in rural communities who inherited land from their parents or grandparents and yet do not know how to optimally use it to be able to utilise the land.”
