Our Farm: Matha Thama

The company name began as a combination of the founder’s names, so we always recognise how important each partner is to the growth of the business and what we hope to do but it also represents and encompasses everyone with the same spirit and goal on our ever-growing team. We are a 100% black owned business, and we are majority female owned.

We began as a startup business looking to establish a commercial aquaponics operation. We built the first aquaponic test tunnel in our backyard to research the best methods of production for different plants and fish. It wasn’t easy as we had to go through a lot of trial and error. However, we knew what our goal was and persevered. By talking to experts and amateurs, like us, throughout the aquaponic community we progressed from simply learning to putting our knowledge into practice. We didn’t only reach out to the South African aquaponic farming community but also sought out friendly international experts and academics. Through these local and worldwide connections, we’ve been able to grow and adapt. 

Our farming business showcases aquaponics as one of the most effective methods worldwide of food production due to the mix of fish, vegetable and fruit being produced in a sustainable farming system. Our ultimate aim is to dominate the fruit and vegetable market locally and internationally by making use of innovative sustainable agricultural practices such as aquaponics systems to sustainably grow organic produce. 

We continuously work to achieve our set goals, however, to further corner more of the food supply chain we have expanded our business model, and created The MT Pantry so that we also operate as a agro-processing business. As The MT Pantry we are able to share sustainably farmed products and produce with our health and environmentally conscious customers through this online platform and in-person market.