By Kefiloe Kajane
An agri-entrepreneur ‘Matsietsi Rampai saw a shortage of eggs in her community in Quthing Cocobe and closed the gap by starting her business Setsoto Agribusiness and Consultancy.
Setsoto Agri-business and consultancy consists of selling layers and broilers chicken, piggery, vegetable planting and agriculture consulting. According to Rampai the manure from the broilers, layers and piggery are used as manure for vegetables which she also sells.
In an exclusive interview with theReporter Rampai said entrepreneurship runs in her family so she knew early on that she was going to start her own business.
Being from a small village in Quthing Cocobe, when she saw that there is shortage of eggs, Rampai last year in August started her business and never looked back since.
She expressed that it was challenging at first due to Covid-19 but she did not let that stop her.
“I started during emergence of coronavirus.It was difficult because people were broke and many lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Others would buy on credit due to that and that set my business back a little but I persevered. It was because I knew what I wanted to achieve.
“Apart from that little set back in the beginning, people in Quthing have been supporting me so much and the demand for eggs has been so overwhelming. I am so grateful for the support that they have shown my business so far. I am though facing a bit of a challenge when it comes to restocking due to the bird flu that was announced so that has delayed me,” she said.
She further said she would like to see her community flourish through helping them consult for their businesses. She said she would like to see many people start their own businesses and she will help them. She said she also would like to see her business become one of the best eggs business in the country and beyond.
She mentioned that it was important for women to see the importance of venturing in business especially agriculture as “it is the back of the economy.”
“As women we should learn to be independent and have financial freedom so starting our own businesses should be turned into a norm. This will promote independency amongst women and also reduce poverty,” advised Rampai.
She said she also sells breakfast of likhobe tsa koro and Chinese food for lunch as her other business venture.
Setsoto Agribusiness can be found on facebook and also on the number 63930576.
