Lillian Malange learned the skill of making clay pots at a young age from both her grandmother and mother in the rural village of Makhado in Venda; a tradition that is passed from generation to generation. With other women in her community they formed partnership of co-operatives to help each other to grow their businesses. Later on she repositioned from making traditional clay pots to making mosaic pots. Since then, her business has expanded; she is exporting to different countries around the world. In this calendar year of 2017, she will be exporting her mosaic pots to Atlanta in the US. Her ambition is to have a warehouse and studio where she will teach her skills to young girls in her community.
Vhu-Matshelo Crop Farming.
The Vhu-Matshelo Crop farming was started by young people in the village of Makhado in Venda due to lack of employment and other opportunities. Lutendo Mccrae is the Managing Director. They employ eight permanent staff and seven casuals. The co-operative is 100% youth owned, farming on a 10 hector land, and was established in 2012, but started their operation in 2015. Their first produce was butternut and carrots, which they donated to local feeding schemes. At the moment they are running a tunnel farming trial, if they succeed they will supply big super markets locally and around the Province of Limpopo and expand to other provinces. Also on the farm they produce sugar beans, supplying to a company called NTK on a three year contract. In 2016 they were 2nd runner up winners in the Business Investment Competition run by Eskom Development Foundation. In 2017 they were awarded a YAFF Award, (Agriculture Excellence Award Smallholder) by the Department of Agriculture.
Mcflora Archaar.
Mcflora Archaar founded in 2010 by David Mokwele, a former primary school teacher turned businessman, with staff compliment of seven. The company supply their archaar in Limpopo and Gauteng. The product comes in three different flavours; hot, mild and garlic, they are packed in different sizes of plastic containers and glass bottles. They also produce vegetable archaar. Their product is displayed in the shelves of Spar and Pick n’ Pay and other small retailers. There’s an opportunity also in the horizon, for the company to export their product to China. In 2013 and 2014 they were finalist in the Business Investment Competition run by Eskom Foundation.
Mabunga Toilets
Hope Makhavhu is the owner of Mabunga Toilets, he is affectionately known as’ Dr Shit’ in the province of Limpopo, where he operates his business, cleaning toilets; drainage of septic tanks and pit toilets in rural Venda. He designs, construct and sell ventilated improved pit toilets and manufacture pit toilet pans (concrete) and hire out mobile toilets. He intends to expand and grow his business to other Provinces in the country. His future goal is to own a warehouse of his own.