Startup Story
Agribusiness is big business in South Africa, and one passionate, enterprising woman entrepreneur, Metsana Kojane, founder of Eden Roots PTY Ltd, is putting bees at the heart of her business. Her production of beautifully natural honey has not only created local agri-processing jobs for women in her community, but also the creation of a natural skincare brand using the wax, propolis and royal jelly from her raw honey hives.
LoA met with the inspirational founder of Eden Roots, Metsana Kojane, this month to find out more about this impact driven, eco-friendly business.
Tell us about yourself
Eden Roots is an agribusiness with a presence in horticulture, beekeeping and agro processing. The company was registered in 2015 but the business existed informally prior to that for a good 5 years. Eden Roots has 10 permanent employees and 12 seasonal employees. We also economically empower groups of women and girls with beekeeping skills. I am a mother, community leader, environmental activist and role model to many young women and girls in my village. I am a Brand Builder and graduate of VEGA. I marvel at the great work of my foremothers who passed on so much knowledge to me and my goal is to keep their light alive and pass it on to future generations of women.
“Our business is special because it embraces our cultural heritage passed on to us by our foremothers. They had unique ways of keeping bees and they used indigenous herbs for healing and staying healthy.”
What does your company do?
I am the founder of Eden Roots, an eco-friendly brand with 3 business functions.
Beekeeping – We do primary production of honey through our many strategically located apiaries located in the north west province of South Africa
Horticulture – We plant indigenous herbs and preserve their seeds. The herbs are packaged into teas and spice packs for cooking purposes
Manufacturing / Processing – We manufacture skincare products, hair care and others such as candles and furniture polish from the wax, propolis, royal jelly and raw honey that we get from our hives.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Our business is special because it embraces our cultural heritage passed on to us by our foremothers. They had unique ways of keeping bees and they used indigenous herbs for healing and staying healthy. We are custodians of the most important creature on planet earth that is also an endangered species. Without bees there will be no food and without bees there will be no life on earth. We conduct research on the indigenous herbs that we plant in collaboration with University of North West where we also get to teach agriculture students about beekeeping. We offer safe bee removal and relocation services – because we care about the bees so much and realise their importance to the ecosystem. When you see bees in your premises, please don’t fumigate them, call Eden Roots. We strive to empower woman owned businesses when we outsource professional services. We work with groups of women from disadvantaged rural communities and we equip them with beekeeping skills so that they are able to start their own beekeeping business and become our suppliers. We conduct awareness campaigns so that our communities are aware of the importance of bees to our existence.
“We are custodians of the most important creature on planet earth that is also an endangered species. Without bees there will be no food and without bees there will be no life on earth.”
“I would like to show Africa that our indigenous African beehive can yield good harvest of honey and other by-products.”
Tell us a little about your team
I have appointed a team of sound business advisors with diverse skills. They assist me to make informed decisions and plans.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
Entrepreneurship for me is secondary. My primary force is passion for what I do. I love and enjoy my work so much that I could work around the clock without even realising it. I tried a few business ideas previously but this one is more than just a business… It is my calling!
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
The biggest barrier to beekeeping in Africa is the high cost of the modern hives that were designed overseas. I would like to show Africa that our indigenous African beehive can yield good harvest of honey and other by-products. We also aspire to use the healing secrets of the hive to provide the world with unique natural products. We would also like to groom as many beekeepers as possible because our eco system needs bees!
“We also aspire to use the healing secrets of the hive to provide the world with unique natural products.”
“We would also like to groom as many beekeepers as possible because our eco system needs bees!”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
What fulfils me about my work is when I see results… when I see an improvement in another woman’s life… when I see flowers and lots of bees doing their work. At Eden Roots we are drivers of positive change!
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
There are so many problems to solve out there in the world and for each problem a woman must rise to find solutions. Behind every solution, lies an opportunity to make money. You have all it takes because you are a woman! Women are smart, resilient and focused…
Find out more
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL metsana@gmail.com
Why LoA loves it….
Metsana Kojane is a great example of passion driving success, and she acknowledges that her primary force is her passion for what she does in her business and in her community. As a committed eco-driven agripreneur, she is building a business that is not only a commercial success, but one that harnesses the power of the natural environment to create beautiful products and importantly local jobs. She is truly inspirational, not just in her local community where her work to empower local women and girls is so needed, but also in South Africa’s agribusiness sector. Metsana and her business, Eden Roots, are definitely ones to watch next year as they continue to grow and create much needed impact. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa