Mesquite, a plant native to Mexico, has been plaguing the arid lands of South Africa's Northern Cape Province by sucking up the already desert-like soil. Mr. Coetzee took it upon himself to get rid of this invasive species by removing the trees and shrubs, but soon realized that the problem lies in the seeds.
This is when he discovered that brewing the seeds makes an ideal drink similar to coffee. The beverage is caffeine-free, offers health benefits for diabetics and the production process creates jobs for South Africans, according to Mr. Coetzee.
"This coffee has got a unique vanilla-caramel taste to it. However, it's very soft on your digestive system and normal coffee is known to cause acidity in the body. The Manna Brew, the mesquite coffee doesn't do that. [...] So we just see [that] by harvesting more seed pods and creating more market demand we can actually make a difference in the environment, and in the process we also create a lot of jobs," Brandt Coetzee explains.
To hear what else the founder had to say, check out the entire episode of the AfroVerdict podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
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