Aluwani tops in investment competition

Ms Aluwani Netshia (right) is congragulated by her younger sister, Takalani, after she was announced the winner of the competition.

Aluwani tops in investment competition

The owner of Greenland Landscaping Farm, Ms Aluwani Netshia (29) of Lwamondo, won R100 000 in the Eskom Business Investment Competition. The result was announced during an event at North Gate Gauteng last Friday.

After she had completed her qualification in agriculture at the Waterberg FET College in 2008, Netshia decided to start her own landscaping business. She started by designing gardens at homes and her business soon expanded and she decided to start cultivate her own avocado and pear trees, as well as rose geraniums. At present, she offers employment to 22 people on a permanent basis.

Netshia is not scared to get her hands dirty and does most of the plantings in the gardens she designs. In last year’s competition, she finished in third position and won R25 000.

Ms Livhuwani Tshifhango, owner of Livhuki General Trading at Nzhelele Ramavhoya, is the runner-up of this year’s competition. She received R50 000 for her achievements. She started farming in 2012 and used her savings to buy a small farm. She is growing crops such as butternuts, beetroot, spinach, and green peppers and is selling her crops to the local community and several chain stores. Her company employs seven permanent staff members and an additional 33 temporary workers.

The chief executive officer of the Eskom Development Foundation, Ms Haylene Liberty-Nel, said that the competition was about recognising hard work “and acknowledging the invaluable contribution that small/medium entrepreneurs make towards growing economy. We are in the eighth year of the competition and, over the years, we made a significant contribution towards stimulating economic development and job creation.”

Ms Livhuwani Tshifhango, the runner-up and winner of R50 000.

Date:18 September 2015

By: Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

Read: 2555