Mondelez building aquaponics units for low-income South Africans

Two commercial size aquaponics units are being built at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University as part of a R37 million Health in Action programme which will provide children from primary schools in low-income communities with access to fresh, nutritious produce.

The Mondelez International Foundation (the Foundation), Mondelez South Africa and INMED Partnerships for Children are building the units.

The aquaponics system at NMMU is approximately 223 square meters in size and will at maximum capacity produce approximately 2 tons of various greens and approximately 1.9 tons of fish annually.

While fish will be harvested twice a year, vegetables will be available throughout the year once the system is running.

The facility comprises 5 fish tanks filled with tilapia, as well as 9 grow beds planted with a variety of fast-growing crops.

Lettuce, spinach, peppers, cucumbers and herbs are among the nutritious, organic fresh produce that is being grown in the system. The aquaponics plant will also provide research opportunities for agricultural students from NMMU.

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