What started as a hot love affair between Sethembele Nxele and chillies has blossomed into an agro-processing business called Gotta be Rich Agri Farming producing the Ilangabi Chillies sauce. Ilangabi means flame in IsiZulu.
“I love chillies… I used to make chillie [sauce] at home and my friends would ask for it… I decided that I am going to continue making it for my friends but they would have to pay,” she said.
This led Nxele to produce a chilli sauce.
She is the proud owner of an agro-processing business, Gotta Be Rich Agri Farming which does seed production for farmers, produces healthy juice and her popular chilli sauce.
The sauce has become so popular that Nxele now delivers to households, resellers, shisanyamas and street vendors.
“My challenge right now is that I am unable to produce as many chillies as I want. I am always limited because of my lack of equipment.”
She also farms chillies and other vegetables on a small patch of land with the help of two workers. In addition, Nxele sources the chillies from other farmers.
Apart from being a chillies enthusiast, Nxele from Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal enjoys entrepreneurship especially the part of being her own boss.
The 33-year-old said her passion for business and farming was inspired by her mother who would make her tend to the family food garden when she was a child.
“My passion for farming comes from my late mother. I used to see her farming and I would help her, that is where I got the idea and the knowledge of farming.”
Nxele dreams of growing her business and owning a warehouse which will provide employment opportunities for the youth in her community.
“I wish to have my own farm and warehouse. I don’t have a dream of selling my products in retail stores. I would like to have my own warehouse where I can produce and then distribute to other provinces.”
Gotta be Rich Agri Farming also received marketing material from the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda). ¥
To order products, contact the
Gotta be Rich Agri Farming page on Facebook
Call / WhatsApp at 0837657211.
For more information about Seda
Call 0860 663 7867
logon to www.seda.org.za or
E-mail info@seda.org.za
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