Five Mhlakulo women blaze a trail by turning maize into flour

We have seen our business grow. We use our own stoves to bake these products. It is time for women to stand up and do something for themselves

Do you know what nixtamalisation is? According to www.sciencedirect.com, nixtamalisation is a traditional process in Mexico and Central America whereby corn is treated with lime, cooked, and dried and ground to produce the flour used to make tortilla.

A five-member co-operative owned by women from Mhlakulo village outside Mthatha, is venturing into Nixtamalisation, thanks to investment by the Eastern Cape department of rural development & agrarian reform, through its commercial grain production partnership with Ukhanyo Farmer Development (UFD).

The five-member enterprise uses some of the corn harvested from their fields.

Before working with the department through UFD, Nokuthula Mafikwana and Veliswa Ngedle were part of a partnership between the department of rural development & agrarian reform and Grain SA.

It is through this partnership that they were sent to an exhibition in the Free State where they learnt that maize could produce cakes, scones, wraps and steamed bread through Nixtamalisation. Mafikwana of Eziphunzana village said when they returned from the exhibition they trained other women to add value to the maize, before they started their co-operative.

In 2019, they started the co-operative. They mix maize, flour and other ingredients to add value, sell products to schools, clinics as well as to local households, especially during traditional events and weddings.

“We have seen our business grow. We use our own stoves to bake these products. It is time for women to stand up and do something for themselves,” Mafikwana said.

“In my home, no-one is permanently employed but I supplement our income from growing and selling maize. I also bought myself a bakkie.”

She said their baked products were unique.

“If we had premises and tools we could supply bigger markets like retail shops. We are not able to meet big orders because we lack premises and tools,” she said.

Co-operative leader Ngedle said they had trained young people from their community and so the youth was represented by three people in their five-member co-operative.

“We realised that maize can produce other things that can generate more income. We appeal to the government to assist us with a structure and working tools so that this unique business can grow and create jobs in this rural space.

“We would like to develop more,” Ngedle said, adding that they also needed training to produce other products from maize. Ngedle said their bakery business had changed their lives as they had increased their income.

Ngedle produces maize on 4ha while Mafikwana produces on 12ha. Both say they plan to expand their hectorage.

The project is in line with the government’s endeavour of adding value to primary agriculture products so that they can maximise income and generate jobs.