The Bombyx Mori Silk Farm is set on the 24 Degrees South Country Estate, near the Blyde River Canyon, Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Bombyx used to be one of two commercial silkworm farms in the country. Several attempts of silk worm farming have been made in the past, some of which where as early as the twenties, in Knysna, however they have all proved unsuccessful. The Bombyx Mori Silk Farm stopped farming the silk worms due to a number of reasons – namely insecticide drift from neighboring agriculture, import of hybrid eggs due to monopoly control by the east, poor quality of worms and low quantity and quality of silk produced. It is for this reason that we now import a superior quality silk from the east as a raw material and do all the manufacturing on the farm, using well trained rural ladies.

Silk is one of the oldest known textile fibres, and according to Chinese tradition was used as far back as the 27 century BC. The silkworm moth was originally a native of China and for about 30 centuries the gathering and harvesting of silk was a secret process known only to the Chinese. Tradition credits the 14 year old bride of the Emperor Huang Ti with the discovery of silk, when as legend has it a cocoon fell into her cup of tea.

The Chinese managed to closely guard the secret (by death) of silk for almost 3000 years, before other eastern countries learnt of its origin. This magnificent fabric was reserved only for royalty, until trade in silk eventually spread to the western world. The creation of the Silk Road was mainly due to this trade, in the early days. Still to this day, the secret of silk has been the longest kept secret in history.

There are a few types of silkworms that are classified according to what they eat, that occur in various parts of the world. Southern Africa is proud to be the home of the Mopane worm “Gonometa Rufobruuea”, which feeds on Mopane or Camel Thorn leaves and spins a very earthy, rough cocoon.

We used to farm the mulberry silkworm, at Bombyx Mori – the scientific name of the mulberry silk moth. Originally our eggs where imported from China, due to the quality of their worms – which are not the usual “zebra” stripped worm that we all madly collected leaves for as kids. These silkworms spin a large white cocoon that produces a far higher quality and greater volume of silk than the average pet worms. However as technology improves, the silk we now import is greatly improved upon to the silk we where able to farm.

Each year thousands of visitors pass through our facility and learn about this incredible little creature and the fascinating process of silk production. Come and join our experienced guides, and discover the real treasures of silk.