The Siyatiphilisa Ground Nut Project: Empowering Women Through Enterprise Development in Agriculture

From Planting to Pantry: Empowering Women Through Enterprise Development in Agriculture

In August 2025, MTO Group celebrated the successful launch of the Siyatiphilisa Ground Nut Project — a proudly South African brand rooted in community, empowerment, and sustainable agriculture.

The launch marked a major milestone for the Siyatiphilisa Groundnut Project, based in White River, Lowveld. For nearly a decade, this project has supported 122 women, many of them grandmothers heading households and caring for orphaned children, by providing access to land, skills training, and a stable income.

A Project Grounded in Purpose

Driven by our commitment to holistic transformation and sustainable communities, MTO allocated over 50 hectares of eucalyptus plantation land to women from surrounding villages. Here, they planted and harvested groundnuts — laying the foundation for a long-term livelihood programme in a region facing severe poverty and unemployment.

What began as a food security initiative soon grew into a powerful engine for economic mobility.

Turning Harvests Into Opportunity

In 2021, the groundnut project expanded into an income-generation programme, allowing the women to sell their harvests and supplement their income. With the support of a Gauteng-based food consortium, the harvests were transformed into retail-ready food products — the most exciting of which is Siyatiphilisa Peanut Butter.

For many, the results have been life-changing:

• School fees and uniforms paid for

• Home extensions built for growing families

• Daily meals provided with dignity and independence

What some may take for granted, these women have fought for — one planting season at a time.

Siyatiphilisa Peanut Butter: A Brand With Purpose

Since its launch, the peanut butter brand has received overwhelming support, with growing demand and consistent orders. It has now been officially registered as a food product and is expected to launch in select retail stores soon — unlocking even more potential for income and independence.

This project represents more than agricultural development. It’s a model of enterprise development in agriculture, showing how access, support, and belief in people can change lives.

Support the Siyatiphilisa Peanut Butter Brand

You can support the women behind this incredible project by following their journey and placing an order directly through their Facebook page: Siyatiphilisa Peanut Butter on Facebook 

Together, we’re growing sustainable communities — one jar at a time.