By Sizakele Nduli
It is common for many people to turn to entrepreneurship after losing their jobs, only to abandon their ventures when job opportunities arise again. However, a 24-year-old small-scale farmer from Unity Park in the Eastern Cape vows to continue farming because there is ample opportunity to generate income in agriculture and she is committed to her endeavor.
Abongile Sidzumo always planted vegetables with her mother in their home garden so that their family could have fresh produce. However, after losing her job as a general worker at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Lusikisi in 2022, her backyard farm became a source of income as people started buying vegetables from her. Sidzumo told Vutivi News that she observed that after planting 200 seeds, the community started flocking to buy her spinach without her needing to advertise its availability through posters. “We started planting vegetables for us to consume, and then I lost my job and we saw people coming to buy [from us], so we started planting more,” she explained.
Sidzumo said that despite spinach being her main crop, she also grew potatoes and cabbage. “The reason I specialise in spinach is that spinach is the most liked [vegetable] and it grows fast,” she explained. Because of the quality of her produce, Sidzumo secured a partnership with Boxer Superstores in Lusikisi as a supplier. The store manager advised her to supply her produce on the day social grants were paid, anticipating a surge in demand.
However, the demand exceeded expectations, with the store asking her to supply it on other days as well. “I started marketing my business [and] I was called at Boxer to come with a sample, and then I went with one sample. “They loved the sample of my spinach. They accepted my sample, took my number, and said they would call for the first order. So, they ordered 50 bunches of spinach,” Sidzumo said, adding that it was very easy for her to get the deal to supply Boxer Superstores.
Supplying Boxer has resulted in notable changes for Sidzumo’s business, boosting visibility and sales. “My plants no longer linger in the garden for too long, and it has also helped me because they no longer rot,” she said. Her client base has now expanded to include neighbouring villages and Boxer Superstores. “In the future, I want to see myself owning many hectares of land and planting at a larger scale so that I can supply big retail outlets. I also want to train college or university graduates who studied agriculture and perhaps even dropouts,” she added.
Despite the milestones in her business, Sidzumo mentioned that the absence of water in her village, heavy rains, and not having the right pesticides for her plants continued to pose challenges. “[At home] we are using one tank to store water we use for bathing, cooking, and washing clothes, [and] to water my vegetables. I sell and buy tank water from people who sell it using their trucks, and then we end up not making a profit,” she added.
