Zenande Ndava’s small business has grown, quite literally, from seeds to vegetables on the plates of guests at Sun International’s Wild Coast Sun, thanks to support from the resort.
In 2019, Ndava was working in sales for the fitness centre at Wild Coast Sun when she found out about the four-star seaside resort’s socio-economic development programme.
“I had studied farm management at Esayidi TVET College and was inspired during my in-service training to start a vegetable farm. I had the land, I just needed investment to get the project off the ground, as I knew it was what I wanted to do for a living,” Ndava said.
Wild Coast Sun provided the then fledgling company with seedlings, fertilizer, pesticides, wheelbarrows and spades and Queens Greens was born. Previously, the resort assisted with a borehole, pump and irrigation system and its latest financial assistance was in the form of a single-cab Mahindra pick-up truck.
“Wild Coast Sun asked me what else they could do to help my business grow, and since their donation of a vehicle, I can reach customers further afield. They have given me wings to travel and with a branded vehicle, customers see us coming meaning the vegetables sell themselves.”
Queens Greens is situated in the Bizana Monti Village area approximately one-and-a-half hours from Wild Coast Sun. The business has expanded to employ nine people to work seven hectares of land, and now provides fresh vegetables to Wild Coast Sun twice a week, from potatoes to carrots, beetroot, onions and spinach. The quantities depend on how busy the hotel is.
Soon Queens Greens will be training 25 community members in agricultural practices through AgriSETA, helping them to gain skills to create their own self-sufficient gardens.
Wild Coast Sun Socio-Economic Development (SED) and Community Engagement Manager, Bandile Mdliva, said adding Queens Greens as a vegetable supplier had proved the success of the resort’s SED programme. “We helped this small business to grow from subsistence farming to being fully self-sustaining, and they now supply not only us but also local supermarkets and the community.”
“Wild Coast Sun helped me to achieve my dreams; the bakkie was an answer to my prayers. I have challenges each and every day but I know I am on the right path and will overcome them,” Ndava said.
