Thabang Mabapa was announced the winner of the “business pitch challenge” at an event held in Mamelodi, Pretoria, over the weekend. His Limpopo-based project, Selokong Sa Dimelana, involves engaging local small-scale farmers to grow castor seed crops. This is used for the commercial production of an alternative biofuel. Mabapa (pictured below) considers himself more “an energy farmer than a chemical engineer”.
Thabang Mabapa who initiated a biofuel project in Limpopo
Mabapa says the castor seed crop takes three months to grow and requires little water. A hectare yields around 1.8 tons of castor beans. He explains the process and vision of the project in a 3-minute YouTube clip here. The annual competition is a collaboration between Red Bull Amaphiko Academy and the Old Mutual Foundation.
- The Red Bull Amaphiko Academy offers “a powerful launch pad for grassroots social entrepreneurs who are making a positive difference in their community”.
- The Old Mutual Foundation invested over R25-million in community projects last year.
