Meet Maboang Matlou, a social entrepreneur transforming lives through agriculture. Her journey began in classrooms at Roedean School and Pretoria High School for Girls before continuing at the University of Pretoria, where she graduated with a BA (Law) degree. In 2015, she founded Lefakong Farming, meaning “The Hills of Health”, named after a small mountain (koppie) in Nebo where her maternal grandfather grew up. The name reflects her vision of agriculture as a pathway to wellbeing and shared prosperity. Two years later, in 2017, she discovered the moringa tree, a widely useful, nutrient-dense African plant that has long been used to support nutrition and well-being. She saw more than a crop. She saw a pathway to better health and new livelihoods for her village, with real potential for nutrition and job creation.
Maboang’s motivation is grounded in what she sees every day: high unemployment, limited opportunities for rural youth and women, and the need for accessible nutrition. Moringa’s benefits drew her in; its leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals, it grows quickly in dry conditions, and it can be processed into teas, powders, and capsules that strengthen household nutrition. What keeps her building is the broader community impact. What began as a promising plant became a vehicle for social innovation, which for Maboang means transforming community needs into sustainable solutions that improve lives, build local markets, and foster greater participation. She describes herself as a visionary, community-driven leader committed to sustainability, integrity, and inclusive growth.
Today, Maboang leads Lefakong Farming as a platform for inclusive growth. Anchored in moringa cultivation, the enterprise creates jobs, builds skills, and strengthens local value chains. It trains women and youth in primary farming and agro-processing, partners with smallholder women producers through contract farming, and operates a processing facility that produces teas, powders, and capsules. At household level, Lefakong supplies seeds and practical training for home gardens to improve nutrition and unlock small income streams. Together, these efforts advance Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work and inclusive growth while contributing to Zero Hunger under SDG 2, No Poverty under SDG 1, and Good Health and Well-being under SDG 3.
The road has included hard lessons. Early funding was scarce, agricultural inputs were difficult to secure, and operating as a woman in a male-dominated sector meant pushing through limited visibility and scepticism about the moringa tree’s commercial promise. Lefakong responded with persistence and partnership. The team reinvested profits, educated communities, demonstrated the nutritional and market value of moringa, and invited participation through reseller training and contract farming. Challenges became catalysts, proving that a healthful crop can also be a viable local industry.
Recognition has followed impact. Maboang was named Female Farmer of the Year for the Northwest Province in 2018. Lefakong received the South African Green and Inclusive Awards in the Pioneer category, presented by Indalo and Nedbank. She was also honoured as a Goalkeeper in 2024, affirming the global relevance of a model built from the ground up and recognising the role that her moringa products play in addressing malnutrition. Seeing Lefakong products on store shelves and in export markets remains a milestone she treasures, not for prestige, but for what it represents for rural women and youth who now hold a stake in a growing value chain.
Outside of work, Maboang grounds herself in meditation and self-reflection. That quiet discipline fuels a leadership style that is patient, principled, and relentlessly focused on community outcomes.
LinkedIn: Maboang Matlou
Email: goalkeepers@sun.ac.za