Motobatsi Organics is a South African organic farming company, founded in 2023. We grow a small range of herbs and spices, dry and pack them ourselves, and sell mainly to buyers who need certified, traceable raw material.
Most South African growers of crops like ours sell them fresh to a processor. We chose to dry, grade and pack on our own farm, because that is where quality is kept or lost. It also means we can show a buyer exactly where each bag came from.
Our first year went into groundwork: preparing land and premises for organic compliance, getting certified by Ecocert, planting chilli, peppermint, thyme, turmeric and ginger, and signing our first offtake agreement with a buyer in Germany. Chilli, peppermint and thyme are now dried and packed for export.
We are growing on purpose, not in a hurry. The crops we sell are the ones we can grow, process and document properly. The others stay in trials until they meet that standard.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Kabelo is an engineer who qualified at the University of Pretoria and brings years of industry experience to the farm. She owns 100% of Motobatsi Organics and sets its standards for quality, record keeping and growth.
Chief Operating Officer
Responsible for compliance across the operation, including the lot-coding and bag-register procedures used from harvest to dispatch.
A team of 14 runs the farm, drying and storage, together with seasonal workers at harvest.
Our head office is in Johannesburg. The growing happens in two places with quite different conditions.
A 25-hectare organic farm north of Bela-Bela. The Limpopo heat suits Bird's Eye chilli. Of the cultivated land, 8.5 hectares run on sprinkler irrigation and a further 12 hectares are being prepared for drip. Drying, grading and bag storage all happen here.
Our growing site south of Johannesburg, close to head office, where turmeric is planted on prepared beds under drip irrigation.
Farm in a way that leaves the soil and water in better condition for whoever farms here next.
Grow clean, nutrient-dense produce, and handle it so nothing is lost between the field and the bag.
Keep honest, complete records and run every part of the business in the open.
Build lasting relationships with the people who work with us and the communities around our farms.
Company founded and registered in Johannesburg.
Land and premises prepared for organic compliance. Chilli, peppermint, thyme, turmeric and ginger planted. First export offtake agreement signed.
Certified by Ecocert to the Ecocert Organic Standard for crops and storage.
First TVET group completes 18 months of work-integrated learning on the farm.
8.5 irrigated hectares at Radium laid out as 5 ha chilli, 1.5 ha turmeric, 1 ha peppermint and 1 ha thyme.
Written lot-coding procedure introduced across harvest, drying, storage and dispatch.
12 more hectares planned under drip irrigation for peppermint, thyme and chilli.
Whether you buy botanical ingredients, place agriculture students or fund agricultural processing, we would like to hear from you.
