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production metrics
STAFF
24 Full Time Staff
8 Off - Loaders
3000+ Harvesters
production
capacity
Up to 2.5 tons of oil per month
packaging
sizes
50ml (sample)
1L, 25L, 210L
oil extraction process
Wild-Harvesting
Raw materials collected by rural communities with a method to ensure ecosystems are not disrupted
Nut Removal
Rural communities scrape off the fruit pulp for their own use or animals eat the fruits and dispel the nuts. The nuts are collected, cleaned, dried and packed away.
kernel
extraction
The nuts are sent to our facility where we use specialised processes and machinery to extract the soft kernels from inside the nut's hard shell.
storage &
Packaging
The finished oil is then stored in food-grade containers to ensure zero microbial infections.
filtration
The oil goes through a chemical-free filtration system to remove any dirt and impurities.
Cold-Pressing
The kernels are pressed at ambient temperature and without the use of heat - this retains the nutrients and high antioxidants of the oil.
sustainable supply chain
Usafi Oils considers the environmental and human impact of our products’ journey through the supply chain, from raw materials sourcing to production, storage, delivery and every transportation link in between. The goal is to minimize environmental harm from factors like energy usage, water consumption and waste production while having a positive impact on the people and communities in and around our operations. We employ a number of tracking tools, getting as close to a circular economy as well as the creation of programs to enhance the lives of our staff and communities.
zero waste production
We employ a zero-waste model to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution in all our manufacturing processes.
At Usafi Oils, we ensure that every part of the marula fruit is consciously used and consumed as opposed to being disposed.
To know more about our zero-waste methods, please click here.
Women empowerment program
Women in rural communities of Zimbabwe are not always in control of their resources and have almost little influence in decision making within their societies. At Usafi Oils, we strongly feel that it is critical for women in these communities to regard themselves highly and not believe they are less capable than their counterparts or believe that they have the capacity to be able to be the 'bread-winner' for their families.
This is possible by creating opportunities which focus on economically empowering these women. In turn, it should enhance their psychological well-being. Economic empowerment seeks to increase a woman’s self-reliance and self-confidence, motivating them to become active players in society.
Through Usafi Oils and Bio-Innovations Zimbabwe (BIZ*), rural Zimbabwean women have been encouraged to wild-harvest marula nuts for a price. To this end, they are educated on how to run a small business, learn about crop farming and become skilled in wild harvesting & sustainability practices. To a greater extent, these women now have the opportunity to become economically empowered with increasing ability to look after themselves and their families.
Currently, we have over 3,000 women as harvesters in the Usafi Oils Women Empowerment Program.
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*BIZ is a Non-Profit organisation based in Harare that focuses on transforming under-utilised indigenous plants into benefits for rural people and their environment by connecting communities with relevant companies.