In a country where thousands of graduates struggle with unemployment, one young visionary is taking a different route – using agriculture not just as a means of survival, but as a tool for transformation. Teboho Sam Kwetempane, a qualified plant production specialist, is turning moringa farming into a powerful engine for nutrition, innovation and job creation, operating from the rural village of Thlatlaganya in Mankweng, Limpopo.
By Montsho Matlala
Teboho Sam Kwetempane, a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, is the founder and director of Dr Kweteps Creatives, a company dedicated to developing innovative moringa products that address nutritional needs and create job opportunities. Since establishing his company in 2019, Teboho has been manufacturing moringa products from his family home in Thlatlaganya village while continually innovating to meet consumer needs. He demonstrates that with single-minded purpose and perseverance, while finding solutions to some of South Africa’s most significant challenges.
At 34, with a master’s degree in plant production earned four years ago, Teboho aims not just to secure a comfortable job for himself but to create jobs and opportunities for others. His accomplishments include being recognised as a finalist in the Standard Bank Kasi SME pitch challenge, receiving the Township Entrepreneurs Alliance (TEA) award in the same year, and winning the Youth Innovation Challenge by Young African Entrepreneurs Institute and the Absa Group, all in this year alone.
Teboho focuses on manufacturing healthy and nutritious food products using moringa. “Our flagship product is Moringa Nutrika, a multi-herbal powder available in banana and honey flavors. We are busy developing new lines such as Crunchy Herbal Cookies and AfroNutrika Bambara instant porridge, along with nutrika beverages. We take great pride in our products, which are proudly made in South Africa from local ingredients.”
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From an early age, Teboho knew he would one day work in the agricultural sector. This passion led him to study the subject at university. However, his venture into moringa products was sparked by his father’s illness.
“While studying at the University of Limpopo, my father fell ill, and I heard people talking about the natural health benefits of moringa. I managed to find the plant and mixed it with other herbs to give my father. His condition improved considerably, and soon people began asking me to supply them with moringa for their mixtures. I recognised the demand and, instead of just supplying, I continued to research and innovate with moringa,” he recalls.
Starting a Business
Teboho founded Dr Kweteps Creatives in 2019 while pursuing his master’s degree. Since then, he has continued to grow the business without looking back.
He began with personal savings and bootstrapped funding. “Over time, we bought equipment such as a dehydrator, grinder, digital scale, blender, sealing machine and food-grade packaging tools through reinvested income and support from stakeholders,” he explains.
Teboho highlights the significant contributions of various organisations to his business’s growth, including ALX-Sand Technologies, Polokwane Local Municipality, Limpopo Agro-Food Technology Station, UL Digital Hub, University of Johannesburg, Standard Bank, and the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. Their support has included financial assistance and technical guidance, which has enhanced the way he operates his business.
Dr Kweteps Creatives sources most of its moringa from the University of Limpopo Green Biotechnologies Research Centre of Excellence and local smallholder farmers.
“We also cultivate a small batch of 13 moringa trees for testing and backup supply. This helps us connect to the value chain while ensuring quality and traceability. Once the plants are harvested, we sort the leaves and wash them thoroughly with both warm and cold water to eliminate any dust or insects, as hygiene is essential” says Teboho.
After slightly air-drying the leaves, they are placed into a food-grade dehydrator set to low heat to preserve nutrients while reducing microbial load. The dried leaves are subsequently chopped with an electric chopper, ground into a fine powder using a grinder, and blended with other ingredients such as ginger, turmeric, and bay leaf, depending on the desired flavour. Finally, the mixture is packaged into stand-up pouches or jars. Everything is weighed, sealed, labelled, and stored under hygienic conditions.
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Being a home-based operation, the company obtains its water and electricity from the household supply. “We do experience load shedding and water interruptions, but we adjust our production schedule accordingly. Unfortunately, we do not yet have alternative resources such as solar systems or water storage tanks,” Teboho laments.
Moringa’s Health Benefits
He mentions that he has learned from various sources that moringa is highly nutritious. Its leaves contain more protein than milk and eggs, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, and more vitamin C than oranges, along with essential amino acids and antioxidants.
“Moringa supports immune health, reduces inflammation, stabilises blood sugar, and possesses antibacterial and anticancer properties, making it a powerful superfood for overall human health.”
The company has developed the Kweteps Africa Market (KAM) digital platform for micro-distribution, which has helped over 15 individuals earn extra income by distributing moringa products. “By joining KAM, you can purchase products at discounted rates and resell them to your customers. We have distributors as far as the Northern Cape who are showing great interest in coming on board. We also utilise courier services like Courier Guy, PEP Paxi and PostNet,” Teboho explains.
In addition to its social media efforts, the venture has introduced Tendai, an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant that answers customer inquiries via chat and text. “We have recently received partnership requests from Mauritius and Eswatini. Our efforts are in full swing to make a significant impact in international markets,” says Teboho.
Employment
The agro-processor employs 10 young people on a temporary basis and hopes to create full-time positions as the business grows.
“We train over 25 youth-owned small, medium, and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) through our voluntary mentorship programme in collaboration with the National Youth Development Agency in Polokwane, focusing on AI for business marketing and practical agro-processing skills.”
Teboho adds that the company and its staff feel honoured to have received national recognition through various awards and fellowships. Awards to their credit include:
- National Presidential MSME & Cooperatives Award for Breaking Ground SMME of the Year, a prestigious recognition led by President Cyril Ramaphosa to celebrate innovation, growth, and economic contribution.
- Finalist in the Standard Bank Kasi SME Pitch Challenge, which supports majority Black-owned township enterprises with funding, skills development, and market access.
Some Milestones and Side Hustles
Since its launch in 2019, Dr Kweteps Creatives has gained recognition and vital support to continue its innovative journey.
“We are trained in Good Manufacturing Practices and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points food safety standards by the South African Bureau of Standards. This training provides us with the foundation to produce safe and high-quality food products. We are also recipients of ISO 19011 2020 internal audit training, which prepares us for future food audits and compliance,” Teboho expresses with confidence.
Despite numerous awards and training, the small businessman stresses the importance of having a side hustle to provide essential funding for a small business to break even.
“In addition to manufacturing moringa products, we design logos, brochures, business profiles, and digital marketing platforms to generate income. We also offer private and white-labelling services for customers looking to launch their own brands. Furthermore, we provide training in AI and plant production basics,” Teboho explains.
“Our goals remain unchanged: to build a food brand rooted in African knowledge, supported by safe modern processing practices, and designed to create value for rural communities. We are affiliated with a collaboration of 22 emerging agro-processors to acquire accredited and compliant facilities that will enable us to export our products efficiently,” he states. “We have purchased 10 hectares of land from personal savings and envision growing the farm significantly to create more direct and indirect employment opportunities within the value chain.”
