LIMPOPO – Greater Giyani Mayor Thandi Zitha has called on residents and local businesses to support farmers and entrepreneurs by buying locally produced goods instead of travelling to other municipalities to source products available in Giyani.

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Zitha made the call during the Greater Giyani Pop-up Market held at the municipality’s parking lot on Friday, where local farmers came together to showcase, advertise and sell their agricultural produce directly to the public.

The mayor walked around the market, engaging with farmers and viewing the range of products on display.

Residents urged to shop closer to home

She urged residents to make use of the opportunity to support local producers, saying doing so would help strengthen the local economy.

“With these kinds of produce that have been produced locally, we shouldn’t be having people travelling to other municipalities to buy what can easily be found locally,” Zitha said.

Hawkers encouraged to source stock locally

She also appealed to local hawkers, particularly those selling fresh fruit, to consider sourcing their stock from farmers within Greater Giyani.

“For those of you who were stocking your fresh fruits from afar, today your local farmers are here.

“Get to know them and their farm locations so that next time when you need stock you can simply call them to see what they have rather than spending your hard-earned money on trips to farms that are far away from Giyani,” she said.

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Zitha said the pop-up market allowed local farmers not only to sell their produce but also to introduce themselves and their businesses to potential customers.

She encouraged residents to establish direct relationships with local farmers so they could continue buying from them after the market.

More than produce on offer

Apart from agricultural produce, the event also featured a range of products from local entrepreneurs, including locally made clothing, lotions and various other locally produced goods.

“With this kind of skill in our municipality, we can easily create more job opportunities for local communities and help reduce unemployment,” she said.

“This pop-up market, therefore, served as a platform for farmers and small businesses to market their products, attract new customers and create potential business opportunities within the municipality,” she added.

The mayor said residents should recognise and support the products being produced in their own communities rather than looking elsewhere for goods that are readily available locally.