Go-getters get a platform to grow

WHITE RIVER – The cold didn’t scare away market lovers on Saturday morning and the Bagdad Farmers’ Market was once again a huge success.

This month was extra special as three young entrepreneurs joined the market for the first time. Power Ngwenyama (22) of KaBokweni started his business, Hot Stix, a year ago. He has been caring for himself since the age of 15 and started making chilli sauce, because he was tired of waking up hungry
and poor.

Looking for a business opportunity, he discovered that the chilli sauce being sold in his neighbourhood was of poor quality. After sourcing various recipes on the Internet, he started experimenting with ingredients that resulted in a winning sauce. In true entrepreneurial spirit, Power buys all his ingredients, makes the sauce, and bottles it himself, then labels, markets and sells it. Power was the only one out of 35 applicants to be awarded funding by the National Youth Development Agency after recently attending an entrepreneurs workshop. His next step is to find locals to grow chillies which he will purchase, thus creating employment opportunities in his community. His girlfriend, Nombulelo Mgwenya also helps him to make this delicious sauce.

Bryce Hicks-Roche (9) is a pupil at Uplands Prep. He wanted to make lemonade and sell it in his community, but when he heard about the market he thought it was the perfect opportunity. His lemonade is a huge success and people couldn’t get enough of it.

Juwayria Asvat (13) is a home schooler who has an obsession with chocolate. She loves to bake anything containing chocolate – from cupcakes to birthday cakes and cookies. Over the past year she has started a small business where she sells all her yummy baked goodies. Her chocolate brownies and Minion cupcakes were hits. She makes cakes for birthday parties and at the young age of 13 she’s pretty serious about getting her name out there.

Don’t miss the next Bagdad Farmers’ Market on October 10.