About Shiriki
The organisation behind the
work
Our foundation
Vision, mission and values
Vision
A resilient African food system where indigenous crops, ecological stewardship, and inclusive agripreneurship drive nutrition, livelihoods, and climate adaptation — from household to continent.
Mission
To catalyse sustainable agripreneurship ecosystems by convening stakeholders, piloting regenerative production and processing models, and enabling youth and women to participate meaningfully in value-added food systems.
Ecology first
Indigenous crops carry generations of ecological intelligence. We work with soil biology, not against it — building systems that restore rather than extract.
Mission
To catalyse sustainable agripreneurship ecosystems by convening stakeholders, piloting regenerative production and processing models, and enabling youth and women to participate meaningfully in value-added food systems.
Viability always
Good intentions do not sustain farming systems. Every Shiriki programme is designed to be financially viable for farmers, for partners, and for the organisation itself.
Our journey
Five years of building
2020
Began deliberate collection of African indigenous crop seeds across all major food categories — leafy greens, legumes, grains, tubers, medicinal plants, and indigenous trees. Early growing trials begin.
2021
First formal pilot in the East Rand. Testing production models, market responses, and community engagement with indigenous crops in an urban-adjacent Gauteng context.
2022
Expanded piloting to Kempton Park and Pretoria locations. Refined the model. Began developing the knowledge platform framework and course curriculum.
2023
Began deliberate collection of African indigenous crop seeds across all major food categories — leafy greens, legumes, grains, tubers, medicinal plants, and indigenous trees. Early growing trials begin.
2024-25
Extensive location research identifies Muldersdrift/Krugersdorp as the optimal base. Engagement with GDARD, Mogale City Local Municipality, and institutional research partners begins
2026
Shiriki Pilot Farm established in Muldersdrift. Seed collection catalogued and growing. First institutional partnerships confirmed. Knowledge platform launched.Food gardens established with Lesego Primary School, Swaartkop Primary, and Matla School in the Krugersdorp area