Background

The Financial Mail reported in August 2017 that land reform has so far not met the needs of the disadvantaged; that it falls well short of having achieved security, poverty reduction, gender equity or sustainable land use. Nor has it created a large enough smallholder class of black commercial farmers, which was one of its original goals.

The full extent of the crisis has not been comprehensively documented, but at Seobi we can proudly say that we have come a long way towards achieving the goals we set out to achieve since 2011.

In the face of political uncertainty and trying economic times, we have not wavered in the pursuit and achievement of our stated goals. We have aimed to provide our incubatees with comprehensive business development support through training, mentorship and market facilitation in the essential oils industry; and to transform rural farmers into the biggest essential oil producing network in Africa where they will own a significant market share and become active contributors to the development of the South African economy.

Instead of “transformed to”, a suggestion of a passing of interests and skills from black to white, our workshop is intended to show how our essential oils business has “transformed from”, in effect how the rose geranium industry has developed and progressed from where it was in 2011 to where it is today.