LIMPOPO – A couple from Moletjie, Sengatane say they initially started planting vegetables in their yard to sell to their community, but Raymond and Lerato Monyela could not foresee how their small venture would grow into a thriving farming project.
“We sell our vegetables at affordable prices to our people. They are happy to save on travel costs as they used to travel to neighbouring towns to buy fresh produce,” Raymond explains. “We later moved to a bigger plot of land to plant a bigger variety of seeds. We plant and harvest cabbage, butternuts, tomatoes and peppers to name just a few,” he continues.
Lerato says although their business, Monyela and Sons, has yielded success, it comes with its fair share of challenges. “We cannot control the weather, that is our biggest challenge. If it doesn’t rain, our crops won’t grow,” she says.
“We want to take our business to the next level but that is difficult because we do not have financial backing,” Raymond explains. “We do not have equipment such as tractors, irrigation systems or our own vehicle to make deliveries. As a result, We have to hire people to assist us which is a loss.” He says they hope to grow their business to the point where they are able to acquire more land, purchase equipment and hire permanent staff.
According to Lerato, the most satisfying part about what they do is the fact that they are providing a primary need to society and they are grateful for the support of the community. She further says their business is an investment as their children will take over from them when the time comes.
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