Page 42 - Nine Yards Magazine 2021/2022 - Old Mutual Corporate

taking the lead next generation
them out at the office – word of mouth spread. The orders soon started coming in. I bought stock from him and began selling his honey, but we couldn’t keep up with the demand.
‘By 2015, I’d left my job, was married and home with our first baby. My dad suggested that I get a few beehives of my own and take proper beekeeping lessons with him. I remember thinking, okay, that’s not a bad idea.
‘He was a dedicated and passionate beekeeper but had no interest in the business side of things. When it came down to that part – the so-called “soft stuff”, building the brand, marketing and selling – I knew that that would fall on my shoulders.’
Mokgadi enrolled for a course through Mike Miles, the chairperson of the South African Bee Industry Organization at the time. ‘I felt insecure at first.
‘BUT DURING THE BEGINNER’S COURSE, I REALISED WHAT A SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE MY DAD’S MENTORSHIP HAD GIVEN ME.
‘It gave me the confidence to establish my few hives on a safe foraging site and register as a beekeeper with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
‘My father and I agreed that he would supply most of the honey from Limpopo and I would run the business from Pretoria. Limpopo allows for better honey yield and more variety. This is because the macadamia nut, lychee and avocado farmers in the province create a bigger demand for bees and their pollination services.’
As with any type of farming, there are challenges. ‘We’ve seen an increase in vandalism countrywide. During a recent break-in on the agricultural holding where I have my hives,
THE SHEER JOY OF WORKING WITH RAW HONEY MAKES UP FOR THE ANXIETY THAT’S PART AND PARCEL OF GROWING A BUSINESS.
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Where to
find Mokgadi:
nativenosi.co.za
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