More Than Water: Inside the Remarkable Community Behind aQuellé

Chelsa Brand
2 days ago
4 min read

By Chelsea Brand

A visit to aQuellé quickly reveals that there is far more to the KwaSizabantu Mission than bottled water.

Set among the rolling landscapes of KwaZulu-Natal, the extensive operation is a remarkable combination of business, agriculture, education, community development and faith – with people, sustainability and purpose firmly at its centre.

From the moment we arrived, there was an unmistakable sense of warmth and hospitality. We were welcomed with a delicious breakfast before being taken on an extensive tour of the premises, followed by lunch before our departure. Yet it was not simply the scale of the operation that left an impression; it was the philosophy woven into every aspect of it.

At the heart of the business is aQuellé, but the operation extends well beyond bottled water. Emseni Farming forms another significant arm, producing avocados, sweet peppers, mangoes, papayas and lucerne, alongside dairy farming. The dairy produces butter, yoghurt, amasi and cream, sold under the Bonlé name, while the farm also produces avocado honey, with bees collecting pollen from the avocado orchards.

Emseni supplies major retailers including Woolworths, SPAR and Checkers, while its avocados are also exported internationally.

Sustainability is equally embedded in the operation. Rather than relying heavily on harsh chemical pesticides, beneficial insects are introduced to help control pests naturally. Even the design of the facilities reflects a considered approach, with natural light held in high regard within the factories.

Beyond agriculture and manufacturing, however, lies perhaps the most distinctive aspect of the KwaSizabantu community: its investment in people.

KwaSizabantu Mission is home to Domino Servite School, which currently accommodates around 300 students and brings together young people from a remarkable range of cultures and nationalities, including German, South Korean and Zulu communities.

Education extends well beyond the classroom. Each grade is allocated its own plot of land, which students are responsible for maintaining and harvesting. Once harvested, the produce is sold to members of the local community, providing learners with practical experience in agriculture, responsibility, enterprise and community engagement.

The community also teaches people beyond the school environment how to grow their own food, reinforcing the idea that sustainability is not simply about how the organisation operates, but about equipping others with skills they can take into their own lives.

The campus is also home to Cedar International Academy NPC and Radio Khwezi, a radio station operated from the premises.

One of the most memorable stops on our visit was the auditorium. Seating an extraordinary 10,000 people, the venue has a story of its own, with every chair made in the woodworking workshop on the premises. It is a striking example of the self-sufficient and collaborative spirit that runs throughout the community.

That spirit becomes particularly evident during the annual youth conference, which attracts between 5,000 and 7,000 children. Rather than simply attending as spectators, young people are given responsibilities throughout the event – from assisting with luggage to helping with dishes and other practical duties. It is an approach that places service, responsibility and contribution at the heart of the experience.

Perhaps the most powerful example of the organisation's commitment to people is its CYPSA programme, which has helped more than 25,000 people rebuild their lives following challenges including addiction. Some individuals who have gone through the programme have subsequently joined aQuellé, with some progressing into supervisory and management positions. Importantly, the programme also focuses on helping people reintegrate into their communities.

This creates a cycle of opportunity: people are supported, equipped with skills and given the chance to rebuild – and some ultimately become part of the very organisation that helped them.

It is this interconnectedness that makes the operation so difficult to define simply as a business.

The company has also demonstrated significant and steady growth, but its success is not presented simply through numbers. Its impact can be seen in the people employed, the produce grown, the skills taught, the communities supported and the opportunities created.

The entire premises seems to exude a sense of peace and community. There is a genuine warmth in the people we encountered, and an evident pride in what has been built – not merely as a commercial enterprise, but as a community that seeks to serve.

It is, in many ways, a business of the people, for the people, and with the people.

As we left after a day of extraordinary hospitality, extensive learning and some truly wonderful conversations, it was difficult not to feel that we had experienced something much bigger than a business visit.

It was a privilege to spend time within a community where enterprise, education, sustainability and faith are so closely intertwined – and to see first-hand how a business can become part of something far greater than the products it places on a shelf.

Christmas Market

The community will open its doors to visitors for a Christmas Market hosted in conjunction with Domino Servite School on 6 and 7 November.

For more information about the school and the market, visit Domino Servite School.

To learn more about Emseni Farming, visit Emseni Farming, or discover more about aQuellé and Cedar International Academy.

For more information on aQuellé and their further operations, please visit: