Limpopo premier’s avocado beauty regime

Limpopo’s avocado industry – a major source of revenue both locally and from exports – couldn’t have hoped for a better marketing boost than to get the thumbsup from premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba.

“My skin is soft and smooth,” said Ramathuba during the official opening of the Limpopo provincial legislature in Polokwane recently.

The premier, who is former Limpopo health MEC, said the secret behind her beauty is a simple avocado, which she applies on her face as avocado mask every morning before going to work.

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‘Industry could boost economy’

She said if well funded and marketed, the avo industry could boost the province’s struggling economy and ensure many families are able to put bread on the table for their children.

She said the avocado mask is a business opportunity lying in the backyards of many families in Limpopo, which needs to be harnessed.

“The number of finished products that a simple avocado can become is astounding,” she said.

“People of Limpopo have proven beyond any reasonable doubt that they are subsistence farmers in their own right.

“Many people in Limpopo are able to feed themselves, their families and their communities through their backyard vegetable gardens and farms.”

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This week, Ramathuba visited the Sampada Private Equity Farm that produces strawberries at Modimolle-Mookgophong in the Waterberg region.

The 100% black-owned farm, established by Bafedile Mofologelo in 2018, has grown locally and internationally.

Today, the farm exports its produce to countries such as United Arab Emirates. It started with only four hectares of land and has expanded to more than 20 hectares with more than 100 employees.