NUL Innovation Hub factories open in SA

RETHABILE MOHONO

MASERU – The National University of Lesotho (NUL) Innovation Hub made history on May 16 with the official launch of seven mini-factories in the Free State town of Welkom, South Africa, marking a groundbreaking moment for cross-border innovation and industrial growth.

The launch, backed by a M12 million investment from Johannesburg-based venture capital firm Admond Capital, marked a significant milestone in African innovation, entrepreneurship, and cross-border collaboration. Already, the factories have created dozens of quality jobs with many more expected.

The factories are operating under a unified brand, Venture-Bridge, guided by the powerful motto “Tsoha, u Iketsetse” a Sesotho call to action meaning “Wake up and do it for yourself.”

“We chose to work with NUL because it is the place where Lesotho’s best minds come together,” said Simphiwe Duma, Chief Technology Officer at Admond Capital and a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

“Lesotho has always stood with South Africa through good and hard times, and this is our way of honouring that relationship through shared prosperity.”

Welkom, once a thriving mining town that employed thousands of Basotho migrant workers, is now writing a new chapter this time, as a center for producing some of Lesotho’s finest goods.

Among the newly launched products is Motoho, a traditional fermented porridge beloved in Lesotho. Introduced to the South African market, the beverage quickly sparked excitement, with locals especially members of the Basotho community forming queues to get a taste. Factory team members were taken aback by the overwhelming demand.

The factories are also producing an array of health-conscious snacks, including biscuits and muesli made with sorghum, along with irresistibly fluffy scones that have begun making waves in Welkom’s café scene.

Another factory is shaking up the dairy market with products like Mafi (sour milk) and creamy yoghurts made using Lesotho’s unique fermentation techniques combined with South African milk.

According to one team member, the result is “almost otherworldly,” and many believe the products will soon become household staples.

Peanut butter from one of the factories has also been an instant hit, praised for its pure, natural flavour and lack of additives. Customers are already returning for more, describing it as unforgettable.

Meanwhile, two factories are crafting luxurious natural soaps and creams from aloe Vera and other indigenous ingredients, offering consumers an eco-friendly alternative to conventional skincare products.

The final factory brings cutting-edge science to the world of detergents, offering powerful yet environmentally safe laundry and dishwashing products developed by NUL researchers.

Admond Capital’s Lehlohonolo Nakedi said the partnership with NUL is part of a broader strategy to support innovation across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

“We are working with several universities, but NUL stands out for the way it transforms ideas into action with such speed and focus,” he said.

Dr ’Mamotena Nkhabutlane of the NUL Innovation Hub emphasized the importance of regional collaboration, noting that Lesotho’s geographic proximity to South Africa makes economic partnerships not only strategic but necessary.

“We are in the belly of Africa’s most developed economy,” she said.

“It only makes sense to collaborate, to create, and to grow together.”

One of the jubilant NUL innovators captured the spirit of the moment: “We will keep bringing products from our labs and we will take them straight to South Africa. We will create jobs there. We will deliver quality there. We will expand there as long as Mzansi welcomes us there because innovators naturally move to places where their work is appreciated.”