Tiger Brands has partnered with SE Holdings to cultivate 1 500 hectares of small white beans in Bronkhorstspruit, Westonaria and the North West region for the KOO brand. This initiative will create more than 100 permanent and approximately 1 000 seasonal jobs.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor of African Farming
In what looks to be a promising year for white-bean farmers, 13 smallholder farmers in North West have started to deliver their first A-grade small white-bean crop supply for the 2025 season to Tiger Brands, which produces KOO Baked Beans.
This group comprises a diverse mix of farmers, half of whom are women. They are part of the Tiger Brands Enterprise and Supplier Development programme, which offers technical and financial support to help farmers grow beans for the food giant.
After experiencing lower crop yields in the 2024 season, Tiger Brands had to import a portion of small white beans for the first time. “It was a devastating reality we faced when local farmers were unable to meet the necessary volumes last season, forcing us to look beyond South African borders to fill the supply gap,” said Dumo Mfini, Managing Director of Culinary for Tiger Brands.
“This new season, we have optimised our support for local farmers so that they are better equipped to handle the anticipated and sometimes unforeseen challenges of agricultural production,” Mfini added.
Commitment To Building Sustainable Sourcing
Tiger Brands procures approximately 19 000 tonnes of small white beans annually from local farmers in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free State and North West.
This initiative, developed in partnership with stakeholders across the agricultural sector, exemplifies the company’s strategic commitment to building sustainable sourcing and enhancing the country’s resilience against factors that impact food security.
“We are actively developing sustainable local agricultural sourcing to ensure a reliable supply of raw materials, reduce dependence on imports, support farmers in building resilient businesses and contribute to national food security,” Mfini explained.
Like many other crops, small white beans are vulnerable to unpredictable climate patterns. Without adequate support – such as financing, infrastructure and agronomic technical guidance – smallholder farmers face increased risks of significant crop losses or reduced yields each season.
Partnership With SE Holdings
To mitigate the potential risk of reduced supply, Tiger Brands partnered with local agricultural organisation SE Holdings, owned by Tiger Brands Agriculture Aggregator and commercial woman farmer Mpumi Maesela, to support a network of smallholder farmers in producing quality small white-bean crops.
Additionally, Tiger Brands provided farmers with harvesters and drone technology worth R6 million to help lower operating costs and ensure that farmers meet world-class quality standards. The harvesters will improve the efficiency of small white-bean harvesting and increase the yield delivered to Tiger Brands. During harvest time, these machines are often in high demand, forcing smallholder farmers to harvest by hand, which reduces efficiency. The drone technology enhances farmers’ ability to implement efficient spraying programmes.
“As climate variability increases, access to precision tools and equipment such as harvesters and drone technology will enable our farmers to operate efficiently and consistently meet our quality standards,” said Maanda Milubi, Director of Enterprise and Supplier Development at Tiger Brands.
With support from Tiger Brands, SE Holdings has provided farmers with comprehensive agricultural services that include both financial and non-financial assistance. This support encompasses agronomy, mechanisation, soil and crop health optimisation, as well as business mentorship. Additionally, SE Holdings benefits from local funding structures.
Thanks to this structured support and favourable La Niña weather conditions, which provided adequate rainfall throughout the growing season, the 2025 crop is expected to yield high-quality volumes of small white beans.
Building for Future Growth
Maesela, Founder and Director at SE Holdings, said by combining rigorous financial modelling with hands-on technical support, her partnership with Tiger Brands transforms small white-bean farming from a subsistence activity into a viable business for emerging producers.
“We are actively identifying and vetting capable new farmers to build a strong pipeline that will receive the technical and financial support needed to cultivate high-quality small white beans. This will be achieved by strengthening our partnerships with development funding institutions, applying lessons learnt and building on the successes we have seen over the past season,” said Milubi.
