North West Woman Farmer Takes Aquaculture Success Story to Tanzania

The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, through MEC Madoda Sambatha, has congratulated Ms. Salome Mathobela, an aquaculture farmer from Ventersdorp in the JB Marks Local Municipality, on her selection to showcase her enterprise at an international platform in Tanzania.

Mathobela is participating as an exhibitor at the NC CoP12 in Tanzania from October 6 to 9, 2026, as part of a side event titled "Empowering Women and Youth as Ocean Leaders: Untangling the Environmental Investment Challenges in Small-Scale Fisheries and Aquaculture". The initiative is a collaborative effort involving the South African Network for Women in Fisheries and Aquaculture (SANWFA), NRF-SAEON, AUDA-NEPAD, and Nelson Mandela University.

Mathobela operates Mathotshe Business Enterprise at Doornkop, approximately 30 kilometers from Ventersdorp. The farm currently produces roughly 14 tonnes of fish annually and has expanded into vegetable production. The enterprise supplies commercial and informal markets, including OK Grocer and Jonny Butchery, while providing local communities in JB Marks with access to Nile Tilapia for food security and income generation. 

Notably, Mathobela is recognized as the first Black woman in South Africa to receive a Nile Tilapia permit, and her enterprise also holds a Mozambique Tilapia permit. To support her business, the department provided an aquaculture recirculating system comprising seven ponds, production inputs, a solar system, and two tunnels equipped with irrigation infrastructure and seedlings. Mathobela has also reinvested in her enterprise by drilling and equipping an additional borehole to support fish production.

MEC Sambatha noted that Mathobela’s achievement demonstrates the results of supporting rural women with infrastructure, production inputs, technical advice, and market opportunities. He encouraged her to use the international platform to build partnerships, explore new investment channels, and bring back innovations to benefit the broader province. Mathobela is also a member of the Tilapia Association of South Africa and the South African Network for Women in Fisheries and Aquaculture. 

Service Delivery and Agricultural Empowerment Initiatives Launched in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District

In regional developments, the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District office conducted its first 40 Days Service Delivery Programme at the JB Marks Local Municipality. Initial activities were hosted at the Mogopa Communal Property Association (CPA), where community members participated in presentations and practical demonstrations on water preservation, plant production, and food security.

To promote animal and community health, rabies vaccination drives were carried out across several areas, including Tshing, Ventersdorp, and Ikageng in Potchefstroom.

Additionally, a Horticulture Farmers Day was held in Ikageng to provide local farmers with valuable knowledge on managing the effects of El Niño and strengthening climate-smart agricultural practices. During the event, a presentation on the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach to vegetable production was conducted, empowering farmers with skills to enhance crop production, improve market access, and bolster long-term food security.

Together, these local government interventions and entrepreneurial achievements reflect ongoing efforts to advance sustainable farming, climate resilience, and rural economic development throughout the region.

#NorthWestAgriculture #AquacultureSuccess #FoodSecurity #CommunityDevelopment

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