There are loads of business growth opportunities for fresh produce resellers and these two entrepreneurs are reaping the rewards. Thumbchef is a Johannesburg based business that specializes in selling chopped fresh produce and Veg To You is a Port Elizabeth based business that supplies farm fresh fruits and vegetables to schools and institutions.

HOW IT STARTED

For Veg To You owners, Lonwabo Myoli and his business partner, Vuyo Tutu their entrepreneurship journey started when they were working on a business project in their final year at university. “Our research showed that there was a fresh produce reselling business opportunity we could invest in because in Port Elizabeth, not many retailers cater to student’s limited budgets,” said Myoli. They started off by delivering fruits and vegetable combo packs to students who welcomed the quality and price. 

Thumbchef owner, Malebo Moloto’s initial goal as an entrepreneur was to sell home appliances online. When lockdown hit, he saw this as an opportunity to follow his passion for food and pivot a new business venture of suppling chopped fresh produce to households and retailers. This was an easy transition for him because growing up, he worked at his aunt’s vegetable store, and this is where he learnt about entrepreneurship. He used what he learnt from his aunt to start selling freshly chopped produce via WhatsApp to the community of Kibler Park in Johannesburg.

HOW IT’S GOING

The popularity of Veg To You’s combo soon spilled over from the students into the local community and sales surged when lockdown hit. “Within three weeks we had over 1200 new customers and went from delivering four times a month to six days a week,” said Myoli. They were able to invest their profits towards the growth of their business because they didn’t have overheads to pay for.  One of their main challenge was they didn’t own a car and to overcome this, they paid their friends to make deliveries for them. When lockdown levels were eased, sales dropped, and they had to think on their feet. “We changed our business model and now we supply fresh produce to schools and institutions on a contract basis which provides us with consistent business,” he added. 

In 2020, the Thumbchef owner changed his business strategy and went from selling home appliances to selling fresh produce. “I used the experience from my previous business to start selling chopped fresh produce via WhatsApp,” said Moloto. When he went to source his produce for the first time, he realized he a lot had to learn about the industry. This realization spurred him into action, and he decided to acquire more knowledge by asking questions and getting advice from experts in the field.  This helped him learn on the job and grow his knowledge and business.

ENDLESS BUSINESS OPPURTUNITIES FROM BUYING AND SELLING FRESH PRODUCE

Fruits and vegetables are a staple in many South African households and there will always be a demand for fresh produce. Veg To You is in the process of building a digital marketplace platform which will help resellers communicate directly with farmers. “This marketplace will open many business opportunities for entrepreneurs like myself and farmers who are trying to sell their produce,” said Myoli.

Thumbchef mainly uses WhatsApp to communicate and advertise their products to customers. This has led to the growth of the business and their chopped produce are sold at a Spar retailer in south of Johannesburg. In future, Moloto would like to open a own supermarket to sell his chopped produce. 

There are endless business opportunities for entrepreneurs that source fresh produce to sell to households, retailers, and institutions.

These entrepreneurs are part of the SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme and they receive business support, mentorship, and market access opportunities.