Johannes Visagie is the founder of Kalahari Donkey Milk Products. A family business crafting organic donkey milk products and this is his story. I grew up in the middle of the Kalahari Desert in Werda, a small village in Southern Botswana together with my grandparents who inspired me to what now is Kalahari Donkey Milk Products. Both grew very old (98 and 101 years), aged beautifully and were still fit until their last days. This got me curious and passionate about the secret of my family’s long lives. Often, I wandered away on my donkey called Rietbok into the scorching Kalahari sun exploring the marvels of my surroundings, even as a boy, I already was an indigenous scientist. Eventually, I found out about our family secret: our humbled donkeys.
Donkey milk constituted a significant part of my family`s daily nutrition. Most villagers looked down upon the donkeys as they associated them with poverty but we knew how precious they are. Kalahari Donkey Milk Products was registered in 2016 and (holds a safety certificate) is a proud indigenous family enterprise producing organic soaps and other beauty products like lotions and scrubs using donkey milk. Our animals are loved and treated with respect; it is our mandate to protect donkeys from abuse and ill-treatment. Our unique products are rooted in ancient dermatology, based on indigenous knowledge.