The intervention by De Beers Zimele which included working capital preserved five jobs, and created an additional five permanent positions and approximately ten temporary jobs during the harvesting of tomatoes. This achievement is highlighted by the payment of her final loan instalment which makes her the first entrepreneur to successfully repay her loan to the De Beers Zimele- Venetia Business Hub before the agreed repayment period.
Through the financial assistance and mentorship provided by Venetia Business Hub, Sithagu Farm has been recognised as harvesting the Best Produce in the Musina Municipality.
Dressed proudly in traditional clothing, Mercy speaks of the years of hardship encountered in order to create a sustainable livelihood for her family. Using the Venda vernacular and a smattering of English, she speaks passionately of pesticides, crop rotation and soil biodiversity; displaying an intrinsic knowledge of agriculture.
It was this very understanding, paired with the quality of her produce and the ingenuity of her processes that prompted the Department of Trade and Industry to offer Mercy the opportunity to visit the United States of America as part of the Trade Mission to Minnesota.
The trip aimed to identify alternate markets for eight South African farmers from a variety of agricultural disciplines. This trip was Mercy's first flight and her introduction to the international business community. It provided first hand experiences of first world farming systems, food processing and agricultural markets.
Visiting Washington D.C. and Chicago has left this emerging entrepreneur inspired and determined to expand her business. When asked about her business plan going forward, Mercy declares that she will make a second loan application from Venetia Business Hub in order to expand her business through a cold room and food processing machinery, making her more competitive in South African markets and empowering Sithagu Farm to sell directly to supermarkets.
Mercy says, "I am living proof that being illiterate does not stop you from achieving your goals. I cannot read or write and I cannot speak English and yet I have been empowered by the De Beers Zimele Venetia Business Hub to change my life, but also to make a difference in the lives of my family and my community."
