Alex Rose-Innes
The general population in South Africa (SA) may not even know where the small town of Alldays is situated, let alone that environmentally-friendly products are grown, harvested and exported from its rural community to the world at large.
Botanica Natural Products had seen the light in the far north of Limpopo, known for its hunting and game farms. Here, at the northern tip of the country, indigenous plant extracts and oils are cultivated in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner, for personal care and beauty applications.
This award-winning, family-owned business had since its establishment, managed to combine science with traditional knowledge and some of SA’s unique indigenous plants. The cultivation of, what had lately become known as a Superplant with a plethora of healing properties, Moringa oleifera (Drumstick Tree) and Bulbine frutescens (commonly known as Cat’s Tail), had seen this enterprise win several prestigious awards such as the global SEED award.
Botanica was recognised for its ingenious development of a method to extract beneficial substances from the Cat’s Tail plant for the cosmetic industry. As the organisation and the commercial use of these plants grew, it opened up many sustainable job opportunities for the marginalised communities in the area. The local community also benefits from an Access and Benefit Sharing agreement and 23 full-time staff is employed at Botanica, whose impact had seen an improved standard of living for at least 70 local formerly disadvantaged people, 70% being main breadwinners in a family.
The organic processes used to produce these much-in-demand products, had been ECOCERT-certified and adhere to strict international European standards for agricultural processes.
All Botanica employees receive on-the-job training, including first-aid and business development practices. Everyone receive AIDS awareness training, free access to medical care and family planning support.
Partnering with local Eco schools, Botanica had transformed a former disadvantaged community into one which had become self-reliant, ensuring a future generation of educated and informed young people to care for our precious planet.
