My goal is to turn this small hustle into sustainable community impact.
Mpho, also known as Gold, is a young man from Mangaung in the Free State who loves working with people and finding ways to create change in his community. He runs a small business selling affordable fruits and vegetables as a way of earning an income while making fresh produce accessible to people in the area.
His love for entrepreneurship started at the age of 18, when Mpho started selling sweets and water in his community. It was a small business, but it taught him valuable lessons about working hard, serving people and being consistent. It also gave him an early understanding of what it takes to earn a living from your own efforts.
As Mpho continued looking for ways to grow and support his community, he joined the SEF programme through Men Up Ndoda community organisation as a Community Mobilizer. The programme gave him an opportunity to build his skills and gain more experience working with people through community work. The support he received also helped him see his business in a different way. He now sees it as a source of income and as something that could also benefit people in his community.
I chose the fruit and vegetable market because, for me, it is about more than just selling. It is also about feeding families and meeting a need in my community.
Looking ahead, Mpho hopes to grow his small business into a larger fruit and vegetable market. He also wants to create opportunities for young people in his community. To take this next step, Mpho is currently seeking funding to help him set up a market shelter and grow his business.
My vision is to build something long lasting and create opportunities for young people in my community.
