Vegetables that once ended up in the bin are finding a second life in bottles of wellness juice, ginger shots and jars of vegetable achar, thanks to a Tembisa business that saw an opportunity in its own surplus.

For Riah Maseko, who runs Veg on the Go, throwing away unused vegetables was becoming a costly part of doing business. Instead of accepting the losses, she began looking at alternative uses for unsold produce.

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The business has been operating for 10 years, sourcing vegetables from smallholder farmers, packing them and delivering them to customers. However, not all the produce was used, leaving Maseko with surplus vegetables that would ordinarily be discarded.

Rather than let them go to waste, she and her team decided to turn them into something new. “We decided to turn that surplus into value-added products with a longer shelf life, allowing us to make better use of the vegetables,” she said.

The result is a range of products that gives surplus produce another purpose while helping the business extract more value from the vegetables it handles. Wellness juices, ginger shots and vegetable achar are among the items now being produced from vegetables that would otherwise have been discarded.

Maseko said the products also offer people a different way to enjoy vegetables. She explained that one of the juices is particularly suited to people who have been exercising, as it helps restore energy and strength.

The business travelled to Fourways to showcase its range at an event facilitated by the City of Joburg’s citizen relationship and urban management (Crum) unit. Anna Malatjie, from Crum, said small businesses were invited to showcase their locally produced goods and gain exposure. “They are agro-processors working with produce from our farmers. It is literally a case of taking it from the garden to the table.”

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Malatjie explained that the exhibitors included young farmers and entrepreneurs producing a variety of goods, including jams, baked products, candles, vegetables, achar and sauces.

The initiative forms part of youth development under the city’s social development department through its agro-processing unit.
According to Malatjie, the event provided entrepreneurs with an opportunity to showcase and sell their products, expand their businesses and network with other enterprises. “It is not every day that someone can just rent out a space in the mall itself,” she said. “So, this is an opportunity for them to say, ‘You know, this is my product and this is what I do’.”

Malatjie encouraged interested small businesses to visit the city’s offices at 230 15th Road, Randjespark, near New Road in Midrand, and ask for Crum to be directed to the relevant department.

Business owners can also email her at anamal@joburg.org.za for assistance with enquiries and registration.

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