Inside Matshidiso’s moringa products venture

When many small entrepreneurs in travel-dependent businesses threw in the towel at the height of COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, Phatsimo Matshidiso was one of the few who shifted gears to venture into something else.

Before the pandemic Matshidiso, who originates from Moshupa, was in the business of selling clothes. But then COVID-19 hit, meaning travel was restricted and she could not conduct her business as she used to.

Rather than giving up, she brainstormed on a locally-driven venture and that was when Phatsima Organic was born.

Her enterprise specialises in a range of products made from moringa and moretologa, creating a unique line of items that include everything from moringa capsules to moretologa juice.

Explaining her journey to BusinessMonitor, Matshidiso says it was during COVID-19 when she thought of utilising her skills and coming up with something in that line to avoid boredom.

“Previously I have been importing and selling clothes and unfortunately during the pandemic, I could not travel.

“The limitations placed on travel during the pandemic prompted me to shift focus to a more sustainable and locally-driven venture,” she reveals in an interview. Matshidiso explained that starting her business during the challenging times of COVID-19, she saw an opportunity to leverage her expertise in moringa, having earned a Master’s Degree in the field at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2013.

Although the business is self-funded, it has quickly made a name for itself in the market since its establishment in 2021. Sourced from Ranaka, her products are sold at Square Mart and 22 pharmacies across the country.

The business owner explained that her product line ranges from moringa capsules, moringa bar soap, moringa hair food, moringa seed oil, moretologa face musk, lemon grass tea, apple and cinnamon tea, powdered moringa tea and moretologa hand lotion. Phatsima Organic, which is located at LEA’s Pilane incubation, caters for both cosmetics and edible products.

Matshidiso adds that most of her products are manufactured in South Africa as she does not have the capacity at the moment. However, her vision is to own her own manufacturing facility and produce everything locally in the next three to five years.

She also noted that most of the local moringa farmers are still at infancy level, hence she will engage them in the future.

“I started off engaging local farmers, but it was unfortunate as they could not meet the scale of the moringa I needed. However, I was able to find supplies of moretologa locally,” explains Matshidiso.

She highly recommends that Batswana try her moretologa and moringa products because they are rich in minerals and vitamins like vitamin C, potassium and zinc, amongst others.

Despite facing challenges with funding, Matshidiso remains determined to expand her business and provide high-quality, locally-made products to her customers.

“The intention is to do more value addition products in the future. The products are purely organic and can do wonders for boosting the immune system. Everyone needs to boost their immune system,” she says.

“I am hoping that in the future I will be able to produce it all here, have all machinery and probably partner with local farmers who will provide me with moringa plant and also create job opportunities for the youth.”

She explained that with a clear vision for the future and a passion for creating natural, beneficial products, Phatsima Organic is a business to watch in the Botswana market.

Matshidiso’s dedication to her craft and commitment to quality make her a true leader in the industry.