Maseko Fresh Produce: Growing Against the Odds
- ECDC - Eastern Cape Development Corporation
- 2 minutes ago
- 1 min read
When Siphosihle Maseko began planting vegetables in his home village of Burnshill, Keiskammahoek, he didn’t have much, just a qualification, a small piece of land, and the kind of determination that eventually turned his idea into a growing enterprise.
What he lacked in resources, he made up for in focus. After graduating with a National Diploma in Agricultural Management from the Nelson Mandela University in 2019, Siphosihle didn’t set out to look for work, he was dertemined to create it.
He started small in 2021, selling fresh produce in the village. No funding and no team. Just a young man with a plan. By March 2022, he had formally registered Maseko Produce (Pty) Ltd and began laying the groundwork for something bigger.
Bit by bit, things started coming together. A major breakthrough came in the form of R150,000 in funding from the ECDC’s Small Town, Township and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme (STTREP). With it, Siphosihle was able to put down a deposit on a Toyota Hilux, a game-changer that now ensures his produce reaches markets on time.
Today, he employs 25 seasonal workers and the business is growing in leaps and bounds. But for Siphosihle, this was never just about farming. It’s about challenging the idea that young people from rural areas must wait, relocate, or give up on their dreams.
His story is proof that ambition isn’t confined to the big cities, it thrives in places like Burnshill too. Sometimes, all it takes is someone willing to start with what they have.
