A group of women at Ga-Matlala in Sekhukhune, Limpopo, has taken the initiative to manufacture their own tea.
They harvest, package and distribute the tea to the public and retail shops.
The tea production started in 2016 using the old traditional methods of grinding using stones, but new technology is now being used.
The tea has health benefits.
One of the women, Fransinah Maleka, says they started with cabbage farming before switching to tea.
“We started by making cabbage atchar, I was working with Lerato Maebana from there Seopela guided us to Dhiya. She said we should make Dhiya and we were using the old ways to grain the Dhiya, back then we would make it in powder form we were then told not to make it powder.”
Setsong CEO, Retang Phaahla, says they are planning to build a new factory in Gauteng and to reach international markets .
Phaahla says, “We currently embarking on a journey to supply 32 Food Lovers market outlets, but our teas are also found in various organic grocery stores, restaurants and hospitality industry. Our aim is to upscale production capacity, we currently building a new factory at Ga-Matlala in the rural areas which is really incredible for us that we will be manufacturing in rural Limpopo and our teas will be distributed to bigger main stream retailers across the country we are also aiming to export this indigenous tea.”
Reporting by Bonnie Makgopa and Rinae Ramuada.
