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Mpumalanga agripreneurs lead aquaponics charge into Africa

At first, Lliam Roach, an entrepreneur with a heart for change, had no interest in farming. However, a shift in perspective during the Covid pandemic led him to explore aquaponics, a farming method that piqued his interest for its technicality and sustainability.

Roach and his co-founder, Mitch Marescia, believed in a world where they could create real economic change through farming, which eventually led to them to giving birth to Ezulwini Africa. The agribusiness empowers young black farmers through a network of innovative aquaponic farms, ensuring year-round production in Dullstroom, Mpumalanga.

Identifying the need for change
Roach's journey began with a clear recognition of the challenges facing South Africa's agricultural sector. "I was not focused on farming as such, but more focused on how we can use it to make a difference in the country. I did a lot of research regarding aquaponics and I found it to be an interesting way to farm. [It is] very technical and a sustainable solution to future farming," he explains.

Roach's vision was to create a network of small, systematised commercial farms across Africa, leveraging scalable systems and human empowerment. Now, a year and a half later, Ezulwini Farms specialises in aquaponic farming, a sustainable method that combines fish farming and plant cultivation in a closed-loop system. This method leverages the symbiotic relationship between fish and plants. The fish waste provides nutrients for the plants, and the plants filter and clean the water for the fish.

Read more at foodformzansi.co.za

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