How Mokgadi Mabela Built Native Nosi from Family Legacy to Thriving Honey Brand

How Mokgadi Mabela Built Native Nosi from Family Legacy to Thriving Honey Brand. In Pretoria, South Africa, Mokgadi Mabela revived her family’s three‑generation beekeeping heritage and transformed it into Native Nosi, a celebrated raw honey brand known for quality, purpose, and community empowerment.

From Childhood Wonder to Entrepreneurial Spark

Mokgadi grew up fascinated by her father’s honey harvesting. She remembers the delight of tasting honey long before understanding the beekeeping process. Later, dismayed by the poor honey flooding retail shelves, she shared her father’s honey with colleagues, who loved it. Before long she was supplying more honey than he could produce. That early demand led her to start her own hives in Limpopo after taking a beginner beekeeping course.

Building the Brand and the Business

In 2017, Native Nosi launched its first online store and sold nationwide. As demand swelled, Mokgadi opened the Native Nosi Emporium in Pretoria in 2020, a combined production, packing, retail, and community space. She also created value for rural beekeepers by sourcing honey from trusted farmers and paying fair prices.

Turning Points That Shaped Growth

• Introducing Digital Payments: Originally limited to cash and EFT, Mokgadi realized the business needed online payment solutions to scale. Through Visa partner Yoco, she enabled credit and debit card payments, unlocking national digital sales.
• Opening the Emporium: Launching a physical retail and packaging location allowed her to package, distribute, and retail directly. The Emporium also featured products by Black female entrepreneurs, aligning with her broader mission grow.

Strategic Marketing and Community Impact

Mokgadi capitalized on Google My Business, using live updates and customer engagement to enhance visibility and trust. She fostered organic growth through word‑of‑mouth and authentic storytelling, positioning Native Nosi as a brand with integrity. Her giving‑back strategy, retail shelf space for other female‑owned indigenous product makers, helped uplift other entrepreneurs and reinforced her brand’s communal roots .

Overcoming Obstacles with Resourcefulness

Mokgadi faced challenges common to emerging food brands. She bootstrapped initial operations using home equipment and spreadsheets, later crowdfunding honey hives and sourcing equipment gradually. She also overcame the industry bias against small black female entrepreneurs, proving that determination and competence can shift perceptions.

Growth Highlights

• From inferior honey to brand recognition: Mokgadi reclaimed consumer trust by emphasizing pure, raw and unaltered honey.
• Nationwide visibility: With digital tools and an online store launched in 2017, Native Nosi soon reached customers across South Africa.
• Community‑centric retail space: The Emporium became a beacon for local products and a hub for entrepreneurship creators.

Conclusion

Native Nosi’s journey embodies resilience, purpose, and resourceful growth. From humble beginnings to a thriving brand, Mokgadi Mabela shows that aligning authenticity with strategy, and passion with action, can build businesses that fuel economic and cultural pride.