The Royal Bafokeng Nation is located in the area surrounding their capital city Phokeng, located to the northwest of the city of Rustenburg in the North West province of South Africa. The Royal Bafokeng Nation is known for their success in the platinum mining sector. The Royal Bafokeng Nation is a traditional community with Kgosi (king) Leruo Tshekedi Molotlegi serving as chairperson of the traditional council leading the nation. The administration understands the importance of diversification of income and is driving agricultural development through an institution called Royal Bafokeng Enterprise Development.

Ms Kelebogile (Lebo) Mosime was brought up by her grandparents. They used water from a borehole to farm with vegetables and fruit in their backyard, which they then sold to generate income for the family. As a young woman, Ms Mosime started her own vegetable garden in her backyard but was not successful in this first effort. A family friend then offered Ms Mosime and her sister 4 ha of farming land to try again, and it was during this time that Ms Mosime realised that she had to obtain knowledge and skills to make the agricultural enterprise a success. Ms Mosime then invested in an agricultural enterprise where she had the opportunity to learn about farming. She gained a lot of knowledge but lost all money invested due to financial problems faced by the owner. Ms Mosime started farming in her own backyard of approximately 2 000 m² again, and this time she managed to deliver good quality products. She however faced challenges in making the business sustainable, due to limited space available for planting.

In 2022, Ms Mosime made the bold decision to expand her vegetable enterprise onto a 21 ha plot on the farm Boekenhoutfontein that she leases from Royal Bafokong Enterprise Development, being a member of the Royal Bafokeng Nation herself. Ms Mosime reached out to RRAIN to assist with planning; specifically the relationship between inputs and profit, because of her experience with backyard farming. She also requested assistance with determining the most suitable products to plant, planting time, and understanding and improving soil quality. She wants to ensure control of the many factors that might have an impact that can eventually result in lower-than-expected product quality. Ms Mosime is a knowledgeable farmer, but she has the desire to learn and grow. She also wants to teach other people and grow the economy by creating employment opportunities.

This greenfields RRAIN project established in partnership with Ms Mosime follows a phased approach to implementation to facilitate learning and to align with available resources. The project is also designed so that modular expansion can take place as further resources and opportunities become available. As there is currently no electricity supply to the plot, a solar-driven dripper irrigation system was designed which will reduce the environmental impact of the project significantly and at the same time address the risk associated with an unreliable electricity supply that is a current reality in South Africa. RRAIN partners also managed to obtain a used net house that will be erected during the next phase of the project.

Ms Mosime’s dream is to build and grow her company, Thabake Business Enterprise (which she registered in 2004), so that it can be inherited by her children and future generations. She wants to build a lasting legacy. She has a vision of becoming a full-fledged commercial farmer that produces quality products that can be bought by hotels and catering companies. She wants people to have confidence in her products.