Manenzo Farms

29/08/2026

Setswa sa Maloba..
Katsa k morakeng;

1. Go phokisa dikgomo mo.mosong
2.Tharapana la modisa...???
3..Morogo was ngwana....?
4. Ka makuku a Naka tsa metsi...
5.Go hesa dinamane go gangwe
6. Namane e tlola e eja mokaragane
7.O tlhatlgela diporsane mo serobing
8.Go di gama o sa ditlhapela...

On a lighter note: Are we losing our Setswana betsho? 😔

Firstly...
I’m not claiming to be a Setswana expert.
I still have so much to learn myself.

But what breaks my heart is this:
Our language. The language that tells the world who we are as Batswana.
It’s quietly fading away.

Somewhere along the line we adopted an education system that made English “smart” and Setswana “old school" and " unfashionable"
Now some of our most beautiful words are disappearing. Like dust in the wind.

And when a nation starts looking down on its own language, something deeper happens.
We start doubting ourselves.
Our identity gets shaken.
Our confidence takes a knock.

And YES self doubt and self hate affects how a country develops....

Language is not just words. It’s culture. It’s home.
When we stop nursing it, we feed that old colonial voice that said: “Yours is not good enough.”

So today I’m bringing back 5 old phrases I grew up hearing.

1. 'go tetesela'
2. ' go ja o huta'
3.' O tlaa nja nko le lemina'
4. 'O mo kgaotse serethe'
5.' Go otla kgomo lonaka'

I bet most Gen Zs and Millennials have never heard them before 👇

I’ll leave the translations to my smart Facebook and GrowthWell family with good Setswana grounding.

This is just the start. I have many more coming.
And yes, some might be very _Serolong_ flavored 😅 So bear with me, Botsadi.

Question for you:
What’s one Setswana phrase you miss hearing?

Or one you wish the young ones still used?

Let’s nurse our language back to life, one phrase at a time.

We can do same for all other Botswana and African indigenous languages. Botswana is rich with other languages like Ikalanga, Sesarwa, Seyei and others.

24/08/2026

Carrots production from Ghanzi, Botswana: Precision Agriculture can transform dry, arid poor soils of Africa into production centers🇧🇼

I was so happy to see carrots on a supermarket shelf, grown in Ghanzi, Botswana this past weekend.

10 years ago, nobody would have believed we could produce export-quality carrots and potatoes in such a dry, arid district. But here we are.

This is what happens when science meets soil. Precision agriculture — right crop, right soil, right water, right climate — has landed in parts of Botswana. And it can transform us.

Africa holds ∼60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, yet we import over $50 billion in food every year.

That gap is our opportunity to feed ourselves and also become a breadbasket for the world.

We already have proof in some countries;

1. Namibia: Table grapes in the arid Orange River. Over N$2 billion in exports annually from what was once "unfarmable" land.

2. Zimbabwe: From to***co to berries. Now a top 5 global exporter of blueberries, using tech-driven irrigation and cold chains.

3. Kenya: Precision horticulture. Became the #1 exporter of cut flowers to the EU and a major avocado exporter through data + research.

On GrowthWell podcasts I’ve said it before: without R&D, progress will be slow.

With technology, you can multiply...and 10x is possible.

Africa’s GERD — Gross Expenditure on R&D — averages

15/08/2026

On a lighter note: Are we losing our Setswana betsho? 😔

Firstly...
I’m not claiming to be a Setswana expert.
I still have so much to learn myself.

But what breaks my heart is this:
Our language. The language that tells the world who we are as Batswana.
It’s quietly fading away.

Somewhere along the line we adopted an education system that made English “smart” and Setswana “old school" and " unfashionable"
Now some of our most beautiful words are disappearing. Like dust in the wind.

And when a nation starts looking down on its own language, something deeper happens.
We start doubting ourselves.
Our identity gets shaken.
Our confidence takes a knock.

And YES self doubt and self hate affects how a country develops....

Language is not just words. It’s culture. It’s home.
When we stop nursing it, we feed that old colonial voice that said: “Yours is not good enough.”

So today I’m bringing back 5 old phrases I grew up hearing.

1. 'go tetesela'
2. ' go ja o huta'
3.' O tlaa nja nko le lemina'
4. 'O mo kgaotse serethe'
5.' Go otla kgomo lonaka'

I bet most Gen Zs and Millennials have never heard them before 👇

I’ll leave the translations to my smart Facebook and GrowthWell family with good Setswana grounding.

This is just the start. I have many more coming.
And yes, some might be very _Serolong_ flavored 😅 So bear with me, Botsadi.

Question for you:
What’s one Setswana phrase you miss hearing?

Or one you wish the young ones still used?

Let’s nurse our language back to life, one phrase at a time.

We can do same for all other Botswana and African indigenous languages. Botswana is rich with other languages like Ikalanga, Sesarwa, Seyei and others.

14/08/2026

Friend of mine in Namibia shared these pictures of his Bonsmara tollies.

All over 500kgs and ready for sale and feedlot at his farm and grows own feed.

Happy for Namibian's as they can trade whilst we can't in Botswana because of the FMD crisis.

Although I don't breed with Bonsmaras, I just love the fact that they were designed for our Southern African harsh arid conditions. As early as 1930s in South Africa!

Technology and innovation is the backbone of any industry as I always cry out in Botswana and rest of Africa.

Without adequate investment in R&D and technology, the struggle for agriculture performance shall continue.

What is this breed?

The Bonsmara is a synthetic (or composite) beef cattle breed.

Developed in South Africa starting in 1937 under the direction of Professor Jan Bonsma, it was scientifically created to combine heat tolerance with high production efficiency.

Genetic Composition

5/8 Afrikaner: Provides hardiness and heat tolerance.

3/16 Hereford: Contributes good beef conformation and fertility.

3/16 Shorthorn: Adds early maturity and milking ability.

Key Traits

Adaptability: Thrives well in sub-tropical and extensive grazing regions.

Temperament: Known for a calm and manageable disposition.

Performance:High fertility rates paired with strong weaning weights.

Try it out!

Podcast tech in farming.

Podcast tech in farming.

09/08/2026

This is one of Manenzo Farming Stud Limousine bull (named Fabulous)and a calf few years ago.

The Golden Breed...Kgomo Khunwana. It has been a pleasure breedin Limos...

Aclimatised well South of Botswana.

podcast farming Farming

04/08/2026

Manenzo Limousine young bulls....soon for sale.

Medium frame breeds suitable for our arid conditions.

Kgomo khunwana!

18/07/2026

13/07/2026

As farmers...gardening just comes with the trade...!

Dirt, sun, wet....all ending in beauty!

Check out this beautiful climber flower hanging on a mokala (camel thorn) tree at our Manenzo farm..Molopo, Botswana.

podcast

12/07/2026

The Cup of Tea with neighbour That Stopped Time at the farms"

On savoring, memory, and why we need more “Proustian Moments".

Last week in Molopo, south of Botswana, we stopped at our farm neighbor for a short visit. An elderly couple.

What was meant to be a 20-minute check-in turned into 2 hours.

Why? Tea....

Not the mug + microwave + rush kind we drink today.

An old-style setup. White China cups and "bikiri". A full tray. Homemade banana cake. Laid out on the verandah of the country farm house.

And just like that, I was 12 years old again.

A Proustian Moment:
The French writer Marcel Proust called them “involuntary memories”.
A taste, a smell, a sound that yanks you back and suddenly the past is alive.

That banana cake + China cup did it.
I remembered my late mom.
I remembered elders sitting in a circle in our yard, chatting the whole afternoon. Rock scones. Fruit cake. No one checking their phone. Tea at the _center_ of life.

Time slowed down. We laughed more. My farm foreman and I stayed longer than planned.

That’s the power of savoring.

One Positive psychology expert *Professor Martin Seligman* teaches that happiness isn’t just chasing the next big thing.
It’s also savoring, actively appreciating, and replaying good moments.

Seligman’s research shows 3 types of savoring that make us happier and more resilient:

1. Savoring the past: Remembering with gratitude. “That was beautiful.”

2. Savoring the present: Noticing details. The steam. The cup. The light.

3. Savoring the future: Anticipating joy. “Let’s do this again.”

That tea hit all 3. Past memory. Present beauty. Future promise.

Why This Matters for Us in Africa

We are fast. We are building. We are chasing $100B economies.

But if we don’t pause to savor, we win the race and miss the life.

This is exactly why I built the JoyReP concept:
Joy + Relationship + Engagement + Purpose = True Happiness

Check my book INNOLEAD for more details on JoyReP.

Joy is not just in achievements.
It’s in a cup of tea.

It’s in relationship — sitting, listening, being present with people.

It’s in purpose — honoring the way our elders did things, and carrying it forward.

That afternoon in Molopo gave me all 3.

My invitation to you:

This week, find one “tea moment”.
It doesn’t have to be tea. It can be pap with grandma. It can be sunset with friends. It can be music from your childhood.

Slow down. Use the good cups. Put the phone away.

Savor it. Share it.

Because longevity isn’t just cold showers and science.

It’s also warm memories that keep your heart young.

What’s one “Proustian Moment” from your past that still makes you smile?

Drop it in the comments. Let’s savor together.

Podcast

11/07/2026

At Manenzo Farming Enterprise, we believe in working hard and playing hard alongside our farm workers.

Our JoyReP formula is infused in our values, creating a vibrant workplace culture.

Our recruitment process is values-based, fostering a family-like atmosphere that contributes to our very low attrition rates and high trust levels among the team.

Ubuntu reigns here, emphasizing community and support.

For performance we apply the Balance Score Card and every camp presents their results at performance meetings. KPIs like calving rates, mortalities, weaning rates are accounted for.

Every visit to the farm is a highlight for me, primarily because of the incredible team we have built.

How do you engage with your farm workers? Do they play a part in your joyous life?

Do you apply the same management principles you apply at your coporate offices in the city at the farm as well? Or the BSC is only at the city board rooms?

Or you lower your standards because its a farm..." moraka"?

I ever wonder.....

Africa Farming Farming for Happiness