Welcome to the Mbona Circle!

Created by shareholders, for shareholders, this is a collaborative, transparent, non-hierarchical space where we can all engage openly and honestly.

Here, you can:

• Share ideas & suggestions

• Voice concerns

• Collaborate on projects

• Work together on solutions that benefit our community, our staff, and the environment we are privileged to live in and protect.

Our goal is to foster constructive dialogue, encourage creative thinking, and ensure Mbona's long-term sustainability — for its shareholders, its staff, and the wildlife we’ve been entrusted to preserve.

Why We Created This Space

Until now, Mbona hasn’t had a dedicated place for deeper, solution-focused conversations.

• The WhatsApp group is great for quick, day-to-day updates

• The monthly braai is purely social

• The AGM only happens once a year

The Circle is the missing piece: a place to surface ideas, canvass shareholder views, and share information transparently so Board and Management can see clearly where the community stands. (This comes straight out of the Mbona Ethics' call for good communication and shareholder involvement).

For many of us, Mbona is far more than an investment — it’s our home, our sanctuary, and a place we’ve chosen to build our lives. Naturally, many shareholders feel drawn to play an active role in shaping its future.

We have an untapped goldmine of skills, expertise, and ideas within our community — people who care deeply, who are willing to give their time to assist, volunteer, brainstorm, and help find solutions.

In principle, this is an incredible strength. In practice, it can be a challenge to channel 250 people’s thoughts, ideas, and concerns in a way that is constructive and manageable for management and the board.

The question has always been: how do we harness this collective know-how and willingness to engage, without overwhelming the very systems we’re trying to support? Until now, there hasn’t been a space to bring it all together in a coordinated, productive way.

A Platform for Collaboration

The challenges we face are too big for the Management and Board to tackle alone. We also recognise that they can’t possibly manage 250 different opinions one-on-one.

That’s why this platform is a valuable “buffer” — a place for shareholders to raise ideas (and concerns)... discuss them constructively, and vote online to identify which issues are most urgent, and which can be addressed later.

What We'll Decide Together

Topics will be broad and varied — from hands-on projects to big-picture strategy:

• Discussions about how Mbona is currently structured and whether those systems are functioning at optimal capacity (and - if not - what we can do to improve the situation).

• Proposals for shareholders to “adopt” and maintain sections of the reserve

• Reserve aesthetics and signage (how the majority of shareholders feel about these things and what suggestions shareholders have to improve things)

• Pesticide / herbicide use on the reserve (the pro's, the con's... and how the majority of shareholders feel about these sorts of decisions being made on their behalf)

• Staff welfare (Are they happy? Are they being treated fairly? Are there ways we can assist?)

• Short-term fundraising ideas & initiatives

• New ways for Mbona to generate income (discussions about long-term sustainability of the reserve and ways to generate more income in the long-term)

…and many more.

Getting Involved is Easy!

• Start a Conversation. Got something you'd like to talk about or any idea you'd like to float? Start a conversation (called a "thread" on this platform). Or, if you prefer, join in on a conversation that's already happening and share your thoughts there. Just scroll down to the end of this page and you'll see the "threads" below.

• Ask for a Group Opinion. Want to see where others stand on an idea? You can create a quick poll (called a "decision" on this platform) and everyone can vote.

• Share Useful Stuff. Have a document, proposal, or bit of info that others might find helpful? You can upload it so everyone can read it and access it (start a thread, then upload a file within that thread).

This is our space to prioritise, plan, and act — together — so Mbona can thrive in every way.