Livelihood benefits from commercialisation of mopane worms (Imbrasia belina) in the Mopani District Municipality, Limpopo Province of South Africa

Mopane worms have traditionally been harvested for subsistence purposes, however, in recent times, there has been increased commercialisation of these worms. In Muyexe and Nsavulani villages (falling under Mopani District), local communities have been selling mopane worms for the past two decades. A survey was undertaken in these two villages in June and July 2023 to document the process involved in the commercialisation of mopane worms—from raw material harvesting to a commodity sold to generate cash income, and to assess the importance of the trade for livelihoods and poverty alleviation of households. Interview-administered questionnaires were used as the main data collection tool, and systematic random sampling was used to select 161 households in Muyexe village and 82 households in Nsavulani village. The questionnaire that included closed-and open-ended questions covered the socio-economic profile of respondents, mopane worms’ availability and procurement, processing of mopane worms, marketing, trading of mopane worms and livelihood benefits from selling mopane worms. Closed-ended questions were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, while open-ended questions were analysed using thematic content analysis. The study found that most of the harvesters in Muyexe (69% n = 111) and Nsavulani (59% n = 48) villages were females. Most harvesters in Muyexe (97%; n = 156) and Nsavulani villages (98%; n = 80) preferred degutting mopane worms at home, whereas only five and two respondents in Muyexe and Nsavulani villages, respectively, degut them in the harvesting fields. The researcher found that mopane worms are harvested for both household consumption and trade—this is in line with Sustainable Development Goal 1 (no poverty) and 2 (zero hunger). Most harvesters in Nsavulani village who trade mopane worms reported making between R2,100 ($113.79) and R3,000 ($162.55), whereas most harvesters in Muyexe village make between R1,000 ($54.18) and R2,000 (108.37) per season. The study found that 55% of households in Muyexe village and 70% in Nsavulani village derive income only from mopane worm sales. Although the income earned from the sale of mopane worms is seasonal, it is highly appreciated by communities and plays a significant role in alleviating poverty and improving their lives and livelihoods.