After eight years of planning, hard work and consultations, the Musina Municipality will conduct the second launch of their Spirulina Health Product at Polokwane, Vevisa Lodge, on Wednesday, 30 April, 2008, at 18:30.

The first successful launch was done in Gauteng in August last year. The Department of Provincial and Local Government funded the Musina Spirulina project to the tune of R6 million. The Spirulina project is wholly owned by the Musina Municipality, through an entity called Zelpy 1903 (Pty Ltd).

The health product, which is made from algae, is the first of its kind in Africa. This is because of the favourably hot climatic conditions and low rainfall in Musina.

The launch comes soon after the marketing managers, GD Marketing, announced their marketing strategy to the strategic planning session of the municipality at the weekend. The marketing plan included an impressive redesign of the product packaging, the development of Spirulina Cream and sales to pharmacies in Gauteng, North West and Limpopo. Planned activities of the marketing strategy include listing in major pharmacies and being made available to mines for welfare and prison for nutritional programmes. Discussions regarding this matter will be done with the Minister of Health and MECs responsible for health in various provinces.

In the form of tablets, the Musina Spirulina has been hailed by researchers as one of the best products and food supplements that improve memory performance, fight cancer, relief to health concerns such as lung cancer, night blindness, has high quality protein, has 300% more calcium than full-cream milk, has chlorophyll that naturally cleanses the body, boosts the immune system and increases energy levels, amongst others.

Compared to others, Musina Spirulina takes the lead in the market because it is produced in the ideal climate, hundreds of kilometres away from any industries that might pollute the atmosphere. It is dried in a novel turbo-rotor drier that also grinds the material into a fine powder for increased and faster absorption. The harvesting and drying are done in a unique process. The biomass is concentrated and washed in a single step and pumped from there into a turbo-rotor drier. This is the only production plant in the world using this technique, producing a far superior product when compared to the process elsewhere.

Municipal Manager and CEO for Zelpy Pty Ltd Mr Abram Luruli said the idea was to generate income and channel the profits back to the municipality, "so that the municipality will facilitate other local economic development projects to benefit the community at large."