Not being blinded by the sizing of operations , Cape Flora is finding advanced manner to help small - scale fynbos enterpriser make their business organization pipe dream . “ Since our financial support is quite special , our strategy is propose at unlocking these enterpriser ’ full potential by endue them with knowledge and linking them with strong networks , ” says Jacky Goliath , Cape Flora SA ’s director responsible for the transformation portfolio .
by Glenneis Kriel
To this remnant , Cape Flora last class in March host a two - day information academic session that was assist by close to twenty potential little - scale fynbos entrepreneurs . During the first day , attendees visited a fynbos farm , nursery and packhouse near the airport to give them a glimpse of the works and all the opportunities along the supply chain , while industry experts shared technical selective information about fynbos propagation , culture , pest and disease management as well as the fynbos market during the second day .
A needs view during the session reveal a substantial demand for occupation skills development , which Cape Flora call through a business training session with concern coach , Basil Myners in September last year for concerned producer .
“ Being an entrepreneur myself , I realised that our efforts would only give off if the businesses we serve were found on reasoned business rule – from line of work provision and Johnny Cash flow management to sustainable line of work practices , production legality and staff management , ” Jacky tell .
Aspiring producersSo far , Cape Flora ’s efforts are making a difference . Theo Adams , who farm near Harold , only go to the info session , but it was enough to help oneself him secure an export market for future production . Cape Flora after the session also funded reference with industry expert Dr Gerhard Malan , to help Theo establish his own plantations .
Their farm was under hops when they bought it , but they want to replace the hop with indigenous crops , such as honey bush and fynbos that would meld in and correspond the natural lulu of Harold . “ With Gerhard ’s steering , we engraft two hectares of proteas in September and destine to plant another four hectares this year , ” Theo says .
The information session urge on Elizabeth Hartzenberg , known as Libbie to her ally , to take her business to the next level : “ I buy a farm near Hopefield in 2015 and ab initio made destruction meet through little - scale pig production . My interest in fynbos was sparked when my path get over with a flower enterpriser . Attending Cape Flora ’s first information session and seeing the works of the supply chain made me realise that I could come through in this business . ”
Elizabeth , after the info academic term , started harvesting the teemingness of fynbos growing naturally on her land , which she supplies to a wholesaler , and approach Cape Flora for help to give her own Plantation . Cape Flora helped her get soil and urine analysis done to determine the viability of fynbos production and place the best varieties to plant on the farm and funded consultations with Dr Gerhard to assure she was on the right track from the start of her production journeying .
“ I am set to plant five hectare of fynbos , but have to get an environmental impact judgement done if I want to establish more . My dream is to break into the export market place and by doing so , create job in Hopefield so that the farm may become a safe harbor , specially for woman , ” she says .
Elizabeth also benefit from the business skills developing training : “ I was genuinely unaware of all the resourcefulness available out there to help small business bring in their potential and the various ways in which businesses could improve their selling performance . ”
Wild harvestersFor Loretta Afrikaner from TJ Agulhas Flowers , the occupation training once again foreground the importance of sustainable harvesting on a flower piece commercial enterprise ’ viability . “ One of the first thing I did when I have home , was to run through the fynbos diligence ’s codification of best practices for wild reaper with my staff , to ensure we were all on the same page . Fynbos is our main informant of income . We will be out of jobs , without peak to break up , ” she say .
To give her business a rise , Cape Flora also supplied her with R25,000 Charles Frederick Worth of pruning shears and actor uniforms . “ These Felco shears are way too expensive to buy out of my own pocket . They admit my squad to work much faster and efficient than they would have been able to with their old shears , ” she says .
Loretta started her own picking business in 2016 when Flower Valley Conservation Trust sought someone to wangle an independent team that pick fynbos at Flower Valley near Gansbaai . Her plan for now is to purchase another bakkie to expand her pick team , which presently consist of twelve employee , and turn in more bloom to pack sign : “ I had to get disembarrass of one of my two bakkies in 2016 . It was dilapidated and too expensive to fix when the engine neglect . ”
For Leslie - Ann Pieters of Pieters Flowers the business training highlighted the importance of committing your goals to paper and give a solid business design , specially when you want to access support . She also made valuable connexion during the school term .
Cape Flora , stick to the information sessions , start different WhatsApp radical , earmark entrepreneurs to deal ideas , discourse issues and ultimately complement one another ’s trade : “ These groups are heavy . If you have an surfeit of a product , then someone , for object lesson , may be able-bodied to buy the product in to add up - time value to their existing merchandise offerings . This way we are aid each other grow , ” Leslie - Ann says .
Cape Flora also stand her by move over her R27,000 worth of shears , a slash and labelling machines . “ In the yesteryear I had to print each recording label and mystify it to the flower packaging with cellulose tape . Having self adhesive labels make my flower seem much more professional and advanced . ”
Leslie - Ann take off Pieters ’ blossom along with her husband in July 2018 , after she impinge on a oestrus at the bloom business where she work for more than ten years . Pieters ’ Flowers started out with her adopt a pick permit to pick fynbos in Elim that she supplied to local vendor , with the single in Adderley street in Cape Town being her first clients .
She fit a Chinese exporter via Cape Flora in November , through which she is now selling flowers in the Formosan market . “ The fynbos has been received well in China and the exporter has institutionalise me photos to intimately understand the requirement in this market place . Where the European market prefers natural looking flowers , the Chinese really care promising colouring material , ” she says .
Leslie - Ann dreams of belong big one day : “ There is this saying : ‘ Go big or go home ’ , well I do n’t desire to go home . I want to link up with the right people , buy my own landed estate and set my own fynbos so that I can create a business that makes a difference by creating novel jobs and boosting the Elim economy , ” she says .
For more information : Cape Flora258 chief StreetPaarl7646South AfricaT : 27 21 870 2900F : 27 21 870 2915[email protected]www.capeflorasa.co.za
