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Daily Maverick
19-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
SA fisher-led nonprofit Abalobi hopes to reel in huge global prize with tech-powered approach
The company's approach to sustainable fishing and helping small-scale fishers thrive has netted it global recognition as a finalist in the 2025 Global Food System Challenge. Abalobi ('fishers' in isiXhosa) is a South African social enterprise that aims to revolutionise the way we catch and buy fish – and its modern app-based approach, which connects local small-scale fisher groups with shops, chefs and anyone who wants to buy fish, is already having a global impact. Abalobi has just been named one of four finalists for the Grand Prize in the 2025 Global Food System Challenge. The Muizenberg-based nonprofit, whose model has been piloted in more than 10 other countries, aims to transform the lives and livelihoods of the world's 500 million small-scale fishers by helping them to manage climate change and protect their employment. Abalobi is fisher-led and its vision is 'to cultivate thriving, equitable and climate-resilient small-scale fishing communities' by supporting small-scale fishers along the entire South African coastline to fish sustainably while continuously improving their fishing practices and earnings. Its tech platform and programme connects fisher groups and, increasingly, fisher cooperatives with markets, training and financial services. 'Fish with a story' is the South African brand for the fish that gets channelled through the Abalobi Marketplace app, which connects buyers and sellers, putting 'traceable, storied seafood supplied by local small-scale fishers' in the palm of your hand. Abalobi Marketplace also offers additional technology to fishers and is used in other parts of the world. One can also shop without the app via the 'Fish with a Story' webshop, online via Babylonstoren or in person at Checkers and other smaller brick-and-mortar shops. 'We had this 'aha' moment seven to eight years ago,' says Serge Raemaekers, one of Abalobi's founders and its executive director. 'You go to restaurants in Cape Town, even branded or marketed as restaurants where you can eat seafood from South Africa, but the main items on the menu are not from fishers landing their catch nearby. 'The prawns are from Asia, the salmon is from Norway or Scotland, the squid is from Patagonia, the hake is from trawlers or longliners. You do not easily find products from the fishers who are literally fishing a couple of miles from those restaurants.' Raemaekers, a group of fishers and University of Cape Town colleagues, including Abalobi cofounders Abongile Ngqongwa, now director of partnerships, and Nicolaas Waldeck, now food security programme director, were at the time (in 2017) working in a research programme at the university that focused on the 'co-production of knowledge'. 'At the same time,' Raemaekers recalls, '[we were] working with all these fishers catching these [fish] species and logging them, and we thought, hey, we don't have enough fish markets in South Africa where these worlds come together, so in the absence of that, why not create a virtual marketplace?' And thus Abalobi was born, meeting the need for small-scale fishers in South Africa to sell their wares, and the needs of local restaurant chefs, supermarkets and any home cook with a smartphone – now countrywide – to buy fresh, sustainably caught fish (Abalobi delivers). 'For small-scale fishers,' Raemaekers says, 'the biggest [issue] is they think there's a price [for their catch], but once back at the harbour, that price is way lower or there's not a market for what they have. 'On the other hand, restaurants are saying, 'Yes, I want to support small-scale fishers but I don't know where to go'.' With there being about 500 million small-scale fishers around the world, Raemaekers, who has a PhD in fisheries science from Rhodes University, wanted to understand certain aspects of the industry. 'How do you connect with communities that have deep, rich, local knowledge? What was going on in coastal communities, socially, economically, in the roles of women, in food security?' he explains. 'How do you bring that knowledge in a respectful way to the table? How do you bring that important information into a fisheries-development approach? How do you support the livelihoods of half a billion people while also protecting the oceans and marine life? 'Globally, in the ocean and climate emergency, for the 500 million people around the world who are fishing as small-scale, subsistence, artisanal fishers, how do we support them on their journey towards sustainable livelihoods?' Raemaekers asks. 'For us that's the most important aspect of this ocean and climate emergency.' How Abalobi works Abalobi 'tries to do three things well', Raemaekers says. First, data collection and data-driven tools and analysis, codesigned with fishers, to help them improve their fishing business and practices. Second, skills building – mostly training via hybrid e-learning. Third, connecting fishers with a dependable and transparent marketplace. Practically, the 'data' bit is shorthand for a vast range of digital tools (including apps such as WhatsApp and data visualisations) to help fishers articulate their work and collect and analyse data on their catches and their businesses. 'We spend a lot of time engaging with fishers around the notion that data is power,' Raemaekers emphasises, 'and if you use it, you can move the needle on a lot of things.' Skills building has evolved into an extensive e-learning programme. It includes coaches working with fisher groups on digital literacy, financial management, marketing, conflict resolution, organisational development and climate change. And, piggybacking on the data and skills aspects, Abalobi enables a hugely expanded marketplace for the fishers. 'To really unlock opportunities in fishing communities, we've built a marketplace that connects all these fisher groups with you and me, with retailers, with exporters,' Raemaekers explains. What does this mean for consumers wanting to buy fresh fish straight from the source? In short, they can ask an app to alert them to a particular type of fish when it's caught, place an order and have it delivered to their door. It's local, sustainably caught, reasonably priced fish harvested by small-scale fishers. The fishers receive fair prices for their low-impact catch without a middleman gouging their share or inflating the price to the consumer. They also get skills building, cumulative data collection on their catches and their revenues, and guaranteed access to a national marketplace – not just the quayside sales at the harbour from which they may or may not make a living, and have no guarantee of sales or of the volumes a buyer may want. (Pre-orders from larger buyers help with that.) For the fishing communities of all the participating fishers (Abalobi welcomes anyone who wants to participate), it also means enhanced food security through programmes that so far have benefited 8,000 beneficiaries to move from being food insecure to food secure (having access to adequate food at all times). 'We were working with groups of fishers who were codesigning [with us] and they were starting to use [our] mobile apps to record expenses, catches, income – it was an accounting tool but then it was also aggregating data,' Raemaekers says, explaining how an academic project turned into a vibrant and growing social enterprise. Registered as a nonprofit in 2017, Abalobi, through Raemaekers and cofounders Ngqongwa and Waldeck, started to raise more funding, which allowed more people to work full-time. 'Suddenly we had some staff and needed to stand on our own feet. There was momentum, fishers liked it – it was not just a research project,' Raemaekers says. 'They wanted to use it every day… and we knew that to grow it, it needed funding.' At that point 'it had a boring academic name, but as the fishers started engaging with it, they started calling it Abalobi'. Making an impact The organisation now employs 50 people full-time and another 70 part-time, with a particular focus on women in fisher communities. It supports 27 fisher collectives in South Africa and Kenya (a total of 7,322 small-scale fisher beneficiaries). Its impacts – checking the social, economic and ecological boxes – include annual revenues of almost $2-million, of which $1.67-million is channelled directly into small-scale fishing communities. Abalobi's list of prizes and accolades is long and illustrious, and includes the Earthshot Prize ('Revive Our Oceans' finalist); World Economic Forum-UpLink (UpLink Innovator); Ocean Resilience Innovation Challenge (winner); and the Zayed Sustainability Prize (Food Prize finalist). Raemaekers became an Ashoka Fellow in 2024 for 'disrupting the traditional seafood supply chain and changing consumer behaviour by empowering small-scale fishers with data-driven technology, direct market access and the necessary tools to run sustainable, ethical and profitable fishing businesses'. The winners of the Global Food System Challenge 'Seeding the Future' prizes will be announced next month, say its organisers, the Institute of Food Technologists and the Van Lengerich Foundation. But winner or not, Raemaekers, Waldeck and Ngqongwa are keeping their eyes on the real prize. 'We're honoured to be named a finalist in this process,' Raemaekers said on hearing the news. 'This kind of recognition supports the hard work of a lot of fishers, fishermen and fisherwomen, who have put in the hard work to get us to where we are – their efforts to drive ocean sustainability really matter. 'And hopefully, it helps to connect with and convince a whole lot of other players within this ecosystem that this is worth pursuing.' DM The overall winners of the 2025 Global Food System Challenge will be announced in June. Thirteen winners in three categories will each be awarded part of $1-million in prize funding, and a peer-reviewed, interactive database will showcase their innovations in forums such as the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and its World Food Programme. This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
News24
19-05-2025
- General
- News24
Babylonstoren flies a piece of the Karoo to London to wow at Chelsea Flower Show
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Times
19-05-2025
- Times
A succulent masterpiece at Chelsea Flower Show
The last thing you might expect to see at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a family of South African quiver trees standing high over an escarpment of ancient stone and surrounded by very English show gardens — filled with fragrant tea roses, giant allium heads and sunset-hued bearded irises. This is the offering of the Newt in Somerset as it marks its last year as the flower show's headline sponsor. The gardening teams from both the hotel's Bruton estate and its South African sister hotel, Babylonstoren, have come together to bid the world-famous event a dramatic farewell. The Karoo Succulent Garden pays homage to the South African roots of the Newt's owners, the tech billionaire Koos Bekker and his wife, the former magazine editor Karen Roos, and its connection to the majestic Western Cape landscape that surrounds Babylonstoren. This was their first hotel — they now have six in their boutique group, including outposts in Amsterdam and Tuscany — which they opened in 2010 after buying and restoring an old farm and 17th-century Dutch Cape house located in the Franschhoek area of the Cape Winelands, an hour's drive from Cape Town. • Chelsea Flower Show 2025: 23 gardens to look out for For inspiration for the triangular 45 x 15m Chelsea garden, the Newt's estate architect Katie Lewis has taken cues not only from Babylonstoren's topography, but also from the nearby semi-desert eco region of Karoo. Here, many of the country's most beautiful and resilient succulents thrive against the odds of heat, drought and wind. Lewis has filled the garden with 'vignettes' of everything she saw while visiting the Karoo last summer, guided by the master botanists at Babylonstoren, Ernst van Jaarsveld and Cornell Beukes. Six biomes have been sculpted at different heights in layers of sandstone, shale and quartz to replicate the rocks the South African succulents nestle among. 'It all starts with stone since stone begets soil,' says Van Jaarsveld, a renowned ornamental horticulturist who joined Babylonstoren after four decades of curating the Botanical Society Conservatory at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town. There are the 6,000 plants, including rare specimens from 15 plant families, found across the Cape Floral Kingdom region. A long winding path runs through the middle of the garden, 'like a dry riverbed,' Lewis says, allowing visitors to get closer to these otherworldly species. Elegant fan aloes and bushveld candelabras jostle alongside the 6ft-plus quiver trees (so named because the local Khoi and San people hollowed out the side branches to carry their quivers). 'I don't think the majority of people will know they are a succulent, not a tree,' Lewis says. There will be varieties of fragrant pelargoniums and an abundance of what Van Jaarsveld calls his favourite cliff 'huggers, hangers and squatters' (that is, succulents that either hug the cliff, hang from their stems or squat between the rocks). On lower levels, gem-like succulents in peculiar shapes such as horse's teeth, baby's toes and bunny heads sit on a shimmery bed of quartz. Meanwhile, handmade pots filled with eccentrically named succulents (spirals of slime lily and frizzle dizzle, cathedral window and fairy washboard haworthias, ox tongue and warty gasterias) hang from two faux quiver trees to show just how easy — and delightfully decorative — succulents can be to grow at home. • Ask Alan Titchmarsh: readers' questions ahead of Chelsea Flower Show 'People will recognise some of the succulents from ones they possibly grew on a windowsill when they were kids — like mother-in-law's tongue with its blade-like leaves, the yellow-flowered pickle plant and the lithops that camouflage themselves like small stones to avoid being eaten in the wild — and then there are ones that are fairytale weird,' says Lewis. 'Gorgeous but strange.' Many have been grown at the Newt or in nurseries around the UK and a couple were sourced from Italy. But the quiver trees were tenderly and protectively wrapped by Van Jaarsveld and Beukes before being flown by plane in the cargo hold from Babylonstoren to London. 'We just couldn't get them of that size and number locally,' Lewis explains. To see these fascinating plants in the heart of leafy Chelsea is one thing, but to experience them up close in the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden was something else entirely. I visited in early February at the tail end of a long, hot, dry summer. Here we could see first hand what Van Jaarsveld calls plants 'shaped by suffering'. In South Africa's unforgiving arid climate, these plants have found ways to survive. 'Some have chemicals in their spines to ward off animals, others like euphorbia have toxins that sting and burn the eyes and throat, and others turn adversity to good use,' he explains. 'Instead of the plant dying, it goes into a kind of depression and then starts growing again.' That's why, he says, 'succulents make such wonderful house plants, because they're difficult to kill … except if you water them too much with kindness.' On walks, Van Jaarsveld and Beukes would point out white-spotted zebra wart succulents and pencil cactus euphorbia winding its samphire-like tendrils through water-hardy fynbos shrubs. The region's indigenous Cape speckled aloes (aloe microstigma) were all neatly tied up in parcels, their octopus-like leaves protecting the inner crowns from the heat, radiant in shades of blush pink and rusty red. 'In the summertime the aloes put a block on photosynthesis by producing the pigment that turns them into these beautiful colours,' Van Jaarsveld explains. 'For other succulents, like paper rose haworthias (a species identified by the 18th-century British botanist and entomologist Adrian Haworth), their dead leaves form a cover like a dress to protect the inner skin from both heat and hungry animals.' We looked out for the unusual local fauna such as rock rabbits (a bit like chubby guinea pigs), desert chameleons, spotted eagle owls and shrub robins. Delicate aster daisies grow wildly in the rock crevices and we marvelled at the fat, fleshy stems of butterbushes, so named because 'you can easily cut them up'. The red-edged pig's ear — also on show at Chelsea — is intriguing too. The juice from its leaves is useful for soothing mouth ulcers and insect bites, and even helps to remove warts. It is a magnet for songbirds seeking out the nectar in its brightly coloured tubular flowers in the autumn. Back at Babylonstoren, Van Jaarsveld and Beukes play 'father, mother and doctor, and sometimes fun uncle' to the tens of thousands of succulents in hand-coiled pots, made by the local artist Nico van Wyk, that line every surface and shelf in the estate's purpose-built succulent house. 'If they're sick we have to find a solution to make them happy again,' Beukes says. Tiny gecko lizards dart around the plants, encouraged by Van Jaarsveld as a natural form of pest control against the tiger moths whose eggs do irreparable damage when laid in the succulents. • Read more luxury reviews, advice and insights from our experts The botanists make an entertaining duo, especially Van Jaarsveld whose pockets are always full of seeds and cuttings as he walks around the estate in his hiking boots and floppy hat. Together, on adventures searching for new and interesting succulents in Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe, they've fallen off cliffs and been bitten by snakes, but they have never been deterred. 'I was always interested in nature, growing succulents and aloes as a young man,' Van Jaarsveld says. 'If you love growing things, you will remain a plantsman all your life.' The Newt's Chelsea garden is timely, not only because succulents are increasingly popular for indoor gardening, but also in light of the urgent need to start bringing more drought-resistant plants into our homes and gardens, given a recent climate change study that revealed that London could feel as hot as Barcelona by 2050. Other gardens at this year's show designed by Tom Massey, Nigel Dunnett, Matthew Butler and Josh Parker are following a similar theme of raising awareness of waterwise plants and endangered species. After the show, the succulents will be relocated to the Newt to go on show in its winter garden. 'We want to champion the idea that there's a succulent for every situation,' Lewis says. 'It's about seeing something that's very common but evoked in its natural setting, as well as seeing something really unusual that you've never seen before.' She hopes, most of all, when someone stands in the centre of the Chelsea garden, 'that they will transported a little to the beauty of the South African landscape'. Van Jaarsveld adds, 'I know in Britain the rainfall is completely different, the vegetation is different, but I hope our garden will inspire people to learn more about how these small, tenacious succulents have learnt to survive and thrive.' And maybe we might take away a few life lessons in how to be a little more resilient in these uncertain times. The Karoo Succulent Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is open to RHS members from May 20-21, and the public from May 22-24. For more information and tickets, visit or
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Newt sources 6,000 plants for Chelsea Flower Show exhibit
ONE of the exhibits at the Chelsea Flower Show 2025 features a Somerset connection and 6,000 rare succulent plants. The Newt in Somerset is a headline sponsor for the show, which takes place from 20 to 24 May with up to 168,000 visitors. For this year's exhibit, 6,000 rare succulent plants have been sourced from South Africa's Karoo Region by the Newt in Somerset and its sister estate, Babylonstoren. READ MORE: Monty Don prepares to unveil dog-friendly garden at Chelsea Flower Show READ MORE: Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal Winner owns Taunton florist It's a mammoth task and a first in the show's history. But it also features a deeper underlying message about the importance of conserving drought-resistant plants in the face of climate change. Thousands of rare plants will be featured in the Newt's 45 metres by 15 metres exhibit area, showcasing the indigenous succulents in a semi-desert landscape among rock formations. The garden is divided into six distinct vignettes, including a 'quiver tree forest' on a shale hill, a collection of succulent bulbs, shimmering quartz fields dotted with small, gem-like succulents, and the famous butter bush alongside fan aloes. The Newt's proposed exhibit at Chelsea Flower Show 2025 (Image: The Newt) Visitors will learn about the relationship between varying rock types and how these waterwise succulents have adapted to thrive. The garden also explores the harsh conditions of the Karoo's micro-climate. A spokesperson for The Newt said: 'The heart of South Africa is immense and mercilessly dry and as the world faces the impact of climate change, we can learn from these small, tenacious succulents, which survive in harsh conditions.' 'Resilient, adaptable, easy to grow and good for indoor air quality, these unique specimens are an appealing choice for urban gardeners. After the show, the garden will be relocated at The Newt in Somerset.' Other exhibits at Chelsea Flower Show this year include a partnership between BBC Radio 2 and Monty Don to create a dog-friendly space. It will be Monty Don's first garden at the event.
The South African
06-05-2025
- The South African
Here's how much it costs to stay at Koos Bekker's newest masterpiece BLOU in Keurbooms
Babylonstoren has announced the opening of BLOU in Keurbooms, a new coastal escape on South Africa's picturesque Garden Route. Nestled in the unspoiled seaside village of Keurboomstrand, just outside Plettenberg Bay, BLOU is a cluster of eight reimagined fisherman's cottages situated directly on the dune line, offering front-row views of the Keurbooms shoreline. 'The ocean and the beaches at Keurbooms are primal and untouched – they must have been the same for ages,' says Karen Roos, wife of South African media mogul Koos Bekker and co-owner of Babylonstoren and The Newt in Somerset in the United Kingdom. 'Sharing this space with our guests came as a natural next step,' Roos added. Each cottage is named after a different shade of blue in Afrikaans – from Duifblou and Kobalt to Oseaan – a nod to the many tones of sea and sky surrounding the property. 'We wanted to create a quiet space,' Roos said, 'so guests can experience all the senses: the scent of sea and buchu, the sound of the waves, and the presence of dolphins and other sea life right on the doorstep.' Three oceanfront cottages offer uninterrupted sea views, while five courtyard cottages surround a communal garden with a swimming pool, sauna, and steam room. Beach walks to Arch Rock Swimming, fishing, and marine wildlife tours Guided hikes and kayak excursions in Keurbooms River Reserve Visits to local nature sanctuaries and artisanal markets A mini Babylonstoren spa with steam room, sauna, jacuzzi, and glass-ended pool BLOU is available exclusively to guests who have previously stayed at Babylonstoren or The Newt. If you've afforded the accommodation costs at either of the aforementioned places, the 'from' R6 600 per cottage should easily be within your price range. 3 ocean-facing cottages (2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms) 2 courtyard cottages (1 bedroom, 1 bathroom) 3 courtyard cottages (1 bedroom, 1 children's loft, 1.5 bathrooms) Self-catering with induction kitchens, coffee machines, and pantry staples Communal pool, sauna, steam room Braai areas, private garden spaces WiFi included Sleeps 2-4 per cottage From R6 600 per cottage per night Minimum 2-night stay Child-friendly | Not pet-friendly Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
