By Neo Kolane
Two business-minded entrepreneurs Mthimkulu Sefeane and Mankhethe Phatsoane have founded a fishery company called Monate Fish Farming and will be the first to use Biofloc fish farming once it starts operating.
Monate Fish Farming is a fishery company that involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures such as fish ponds and sell them.
The business idea was first conceived in November 2021.
Sefeane explained the motivation behind the business was that the two realised there is a shortage of fish supply in Lesotho.
The two further established that there is no fish supply company owned by Basotho so they wanted to be the first.
He indicated that they will be the first because in the Katse dam, the activity is done by outsiders and in the dam and not in tanks.
He also said that another motivation was that fish provides protein which is easily digested and doctors highly recommend it.
“We grabbed that information and took it as an opportunity for our business idea to thrive, after learning that there were only two competitors if not one in the country,” he told theReporter.
Sefeane also disclosed that what will be different about their upcoming business is that they specialize in Biofloc fish farm which is not practised in the country.
The two will be the first to produce fish in this manner.
Biofloc fish farming is defined as the process of culturing fish with high density inside tanks along with Bacteria’s which helps in management of waste and feed.
“Our biggest accomplishment was that we got enough capital to make our dream come true,” he said.
However, he said the challenge they faced was that they had to learn a lot about fish including some diseases which infect them and the conditions in which fish can live in.
“We want people to know that is Monate Fish Farming is a 100 percent owned by Basotho. It will employ Basotho as it expands,” Sefeane said.
Mthimkhulu Sefeane can be contacted on +266 -5684 1507 while Mankhethe Phatsoane on +266 – 5965 2872