N4 Entrepreneurship & Business Management


But thanks to an innovative business venture, Msomi and scores of others have seen their lives turned around as they supply the traditional root vegetable to leading retailers like Woolworths. “I do not know what a Woolworth’s store looks like. The only thing I know is that our crops are being sold in big stores and white people love them,” said Msomi. The Zulu rondavel homes dotting the valley have no electricity. The villagers still fetch water from communal wells far away from their homes.


All farmers are members of the Ezemvelo Farmers Organisation – the brainchild of Dr Thembinkosi Modi of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s school of Architectural Science. Modi started the project in 1999 after receiving funding from the provincial government to work with subsistence farmers.


He identified Umbumbulu and taught the would-be farmers new methods of growing the crops organically. “My goal was to see these poverty stricken people from just ploughing food to economical farmers” said Modi. Now the farmers also supply the store with sweet potatoes and bay potatoes.


Thembinkosi Mabhida, 70, of Ogagwini village describes the amadumbe project as a new lease on life. “I never imagined that my harvest of amadumbe, something that most people just took for granted, will end up being sold in big stores,” said Mabhida who was retrenched from a milling company 20 years ago. The farmers started by selling their products to Pick ‘n Pay before clinching the deal with Woolworths in 2003. On a good week the community sells up to 5 tons of amadumbe, sweet potatoes and bay potatoes to Woolworths.


Richard Stockley head of procurement at Woolworths, described the venture as a new factor in organic consumerism. The project is increasingly interesting to government, various academia and business who are all exploring it as a viable method for sustainable development.


Sunday Times The label Woolworths uses to sell Madumbis


Questions 1. What is the name of the traditional root discussed in the case study? 2. Name two other products they now cultivate. 3. Name at least two business environments that have influenced or will hopefully influence the lives of Trynah Msomi and other villagers in the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.


4. To which “Golden rule” of business is the Umbumbala community adhering? 5. Which one of the business idea generation techniques or creativity methods best explains how this community or Dr Modi came up with this unique business idea?


6. Is this idea a good business idea? 7. Which values of uBuntu are clearly applied by the Umbumbulu community? 8. How would you suggest that the Umbumbulu community should protect its business idea? 9. Compile a SWOT analysis for the Ezemvelo Farmers’ Organisation.


38


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172