SA’s superfood producer gets financial boost

SA superfood company, Origin of Moringa, has more than tripled its sales year-on-year since its products reached South African supermarket shelves three years ago.

The range of Origin of Moringa products are available in Dis-Chem and Pick n Pay stores across the African continent and selected local pharmacies as well as a major online player in the health foods / superfood space.

Founded by Julian de la Hunt and Llewellyn Marshall in 2018, Origin of Moringa was created with the dual purpose to both develop communities as well as create a range of nutritious food using the many health benefits offered by the moringa tree.

The boost in sales, one of the few companies that saw an increase in sales during the hard lockdown periods caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, is a combination of not only the nutritious product that they sell, but the variety available.

Origin of Moringa doesn’t just sell the moringa powder in its pure or capsule form, but also sells a health tonic, tea, moringa infused salt and pepper, health bars, porridges, soup, sugar-free peanut butter, lollies and hot chocolate drinks, rusks and a range of cosmetics – all infused with the superfood.

Says de la Hunt, one of the reasons why the business has been able to increase its presence and sales is the company’s ability to innovate and create new products that hold the nutritious value of what is referred to as “green gold”. Moringa is packed with proteins, nutrients, vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B-6, folate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.

Two years ago, the business sourced funding from financial services provider, Fedgroup. Fedgroup Impact Farming is an investment platform where South Africans can invest directly in a moringa tree on one of Origin of Moringa’s organic farms and earn proceeds from the sale of the tree’s harvest. Moringa trees are available at R100 per tree. Investors can expect an average profit of 10% per annum over the three-year investment term, with returns starting out low and ramping up over time as the trees mature.

The Fedgroup Impact Farming funding platform, is a world first. Created not only to allow  investors to  gain exposure to tangible assets, but also to create innovative funding opportunities for farmers whose needs have been left unmet by traditional finance avenues.

“Origin of Moringa was founded to build communities and provide nutritious food. We chose to partner with Fedgroup and its Impact Farming platform because the business holds the same values as we do. Not just in fair business practices but also their commitment to playing a positive role in every interaction that they have,” says Marshall.