Letter from Limpopo: Thabiso Sekhula says people are rushing to get their hands on this magical root — and not just because it’s sweeter than sugar
Limpopo is called Africa’s fruit basket, and if you’ve read my previous articles, it’s easy to see why.
But there’s a particular plant that’s got everybody flocking to the mother province: the latest sensation in agriculture, molomo monate. The name translates to “delicious mouth”.
Funny name for a tree, but this plant is named after its sweetness — it’s 1,400 times sweeter than sugar, without the carbs; it’s a miracle plant. Its benefits don’t stop there. Just one search on TikTok or Google and you will see why molomo monate is driving the nation wild.
The root of the plant is cut, cleaned and used by traditional healers for many purposes, including giving luck for presentations, lobola negotiations and charming girls. But the most famous is as a sexual libido booster.
One advert for the root reads: “Chew this plant and propose love to any woman, and she will instantly say yes.” The root is said to work on both genders, and turns the words of any eater into poetry no one could resist. Please share the reviews.
In 2015, the CSIR conducted research on the plant, which is a very good alternative to regular sugar, but is quite tough to find.
Anyone with the skills to propagate it will make millions. The communities of Shongoane and Seleka, north-west of Polokwane, in Limpopo, participated in the project in 2015 and were eligible for royalties from the research and findings. R2.6 million was paid out to those with knowledge of the plant who helped with the research.
The plant is grown by small-scale farmers and processed into lip balms, drinks and sweets. On TikTok, the hashtag has over 80 million views, because if there’s one thing South Africans love, it’s making love. And this plant has people flocking to Limpopo just to talk nice to you.
Pictured above: Molomo monate
