In 2022, Scatec partnered with Blue Sky and the Onseepkans Development Company, with the aim to change the lives of 2,500 residents in the town of Onseepkans.
The challenge
Onseepkans is located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa near Scatec’s Round 4 and RMI projects. The programme aims to improve the economic and social circumstances of the broader community through investments in the local raisin farm. The key objectives are to assist the farm to become more formalised and efficient, and for the farm to increase its harvest year on year.
How we worked together
Today, the farm belongs to 114 community members, creates employment, and provides significant opportunity for skills transfer. Through socio-economic investments, the farm has become one of the 8 organic raisin farms in the Orange River region that is 100% black-owned. The business saw its first harvest in 2018 and aims to deliver its first organic-certified harvest to RedSun Raisins in December 2023.
The project’s participatory approach, which places emphasis on community shareholding and ownership, contributes to the long-term profitability of the farm. The project develops the land assets of the 114 landowners, provides opportunities for youth in agriculture, and increases community economic activity. The investment has been extended to ensure development outside the raisin industry and is securing long-term funding from other channels to ensure the farm can thrive sustainably in the future.