Greenhouse solutions for Africa

While the SADAC region has been our primary market, we’ve been steadily expanding into other countries in recent years, including Chad, Mali, Mauritius, and Madagascar. Here’s a closer look at our approach to greenhouse design and construction in Africa, our ongoing commitment to growers across the continent, and some of our most recent projects.

We take a customised approach

Greenhouse projects in Africa are rather different to those in other parts of the world, and require a specialised understanding of the challenges growers across the continent face. While each African country is unique, there’s a theme of challenges we’ve noticed across the board. The top three are: difficulties with consistent energy supply, a shortage of technical expertise, and lack of continuity after early success and momentum. Through experience, we know what to look for to help mitigate or work around these challenges and we always balance the purpose of each project with the context and potential constraints. This approach results in higher chances of longterm success and greenhouses that are robust, easy to maintain and produce excellent yields.

We’re backed by a global network

One of the keys to our success is our partnership with Netafim. As the global leader in irrigation solutions for sustainable agriculture, Netafim has spent many years soaking up skills, expertise and experience for every growing condition. They’ve also established a presence in countries across Africa. And with access to their vast in-country knowledge, logistics networks, and local expertise, we’re able to do what we do best – design, build and help maintain specialised greenhouses that maximise high quality yield production.

We’re in it for the long haul

A lack of ongoing support can affect the long-term success of any greenhouse project, and this is a challenge that many growers in Africa face. At Vegtech Netafim, continued support and service is something we’re absolutely committed to. We view every client as a partner, and we’re invested in nurturing long-term relationships with them. This means we’re available to provide the support they need, when they need it – whether that’s training, agronomic advice, maintenance, or expansions.

A win for food security in Malawi

One of the biggest projects our team has collaborated on in Africa is a food-security focused greenhouse initiative at Lilongwe International Airport in Malawi. We partnered with project stakeholders to design and supply 16 greenhouse structures covering an area of 16 hectares. A variety of crops will be grown in these greenhouses, all of which will contribute to food security in this landlocked south-east African country. Not only will this result in a superior and more affordable product for the local community, it will also reduce Malawi’s need to import food from neighbouring countries.

Growing tomatoes in Chad and Mali

Three of our most recent projects have focused on tomatoes – a crop that grows incredibly well in a greenhouse environment and can be trellised to maximise yields. We’ve almost completed our Chad project, which we started at the end of 2021, and we’re about to kick off two new one-hectare projects in Bamako in Mali.

Invested in your success

We’ve not only been in the business for decades – passionate about food security and growing success, but we’re able to offer a full range of services and support. What does this mean practically? We have a real, deep understanding of crops, weather, water, soil, technology and more. We also have the design and engineering expertise to create the right solutions for every situation, and provide expert agronomical input and advice. Finally, our technology allows us to support our clients from any location – we’re able to control every aspect of a project remotely and implement growing decisions on their behalf.

If you’re looking for a greenhouse partner to help you achieve growing success, get in touch today. We’d love to chat about your requirements.