Qobo Qobo Essential Oil Incubator

In late 2017 the SAB Foundation commenced work with Qobo Qobo Essential Oil Incubator

Keiskammahoek is an area characterised by high unemployment and a lack of basic services, such as water and electricity, with most of the population surviving on between R500 and R1 000 per month.

The business had a big vision to create a social enterprise that would enable local farmers to create their own essential oils. They already had a small rose geranium nursery, agricultural equipment, a warehouse and an oil distillation plant and, most importantly, access to willing farmers with land available for planting.

The SAB Foundation assisted in two ways, firstly by sending staff for training on how to convert the organisation to a social enterprise and secondly with funding to enable the farms to be set up.

Each farm is independently owned and the incubator acts as a central hub, lending out equipment, providing capacity, distilling oil and ensuring that farmers get the best possible price for their oil. Much has been achieved in the last year. Feasibility studies and business models have been piloted and the necessary agricultural equipment has been purchased.

Seven farmers have been registered with PTY companies, employing 14 full-time employees and 15 casual workers. A total 21 hectares of land have been identified and secured, with five hectares planted and another five hectares due to be planted from September 2018.

In April 2018, 3.6 hectares of biomass were harvested, processed and sold which generated strong oil yields. The quality of oil has been tested and rated as one of the best quality rose geranium oils in the country, and possibly worldwide, relative to the ISO standards.