Gugu Mlipha‚ founder of Gugu & Daughters Farming near Walkerville in Gauteng‚ started out as a street hawker. Now she is a supplier of fruit and vegetables to one of South Africa’s premier hotels‚ a large supermarket chain and other companies.
Sun International’s The Maslow today confirmed it has partnered with Mlipha to provide vegetables and other fresh produce for use in the award-winning hotel’s kitchens.
“The pioneering farmer will also be growing specific plants and Asian ingredients at the request of The Maslow’s new Executive Chef‚ Jason Millar‚ to support the hotel’s Lacuna Bistro’s new menu. Mlipha has already spent considerable time with Chef Millar to understand what sort of vegetable cuts are required to ensure optimal consistency and quality in line with his requirements‚” the hotel said.
To start‚ Mlipha will be delivering an average of 200 kilograms of fresh produce‚ cut to the hotel’s requirements‚ weekly. This equates to around 30% of the hotel’s fresh vegetable and fruit requirements.
Mlipha‚ originally from KwaZulu-Natal‚ started her business in Walkerville in 2007. She hires unemployed people from the nearby informal settlement to tend to her vegetables and fruit which grow on various surrounding plots of land which has taken on lease. She won the award for Top Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Agro Processing in 2010 from the Department of Agriculture.
Recently‚ she travelled to America at the invitation of the United States Consulate to represent South Africa in the African Women Entrepreneur Programme.
According to The Maslow’s General Manager‚ Johann Scheepers‚ the hotel is working to ensure that 80% of products and services procured are from small‚ empowered‚ black-owned enterprises.
Emerging farmer wins major hotel contract
Gugu Mlipha‚ founder of Gugu & Daughters Farming near Walkerville in Gauteng‚ started out as a street hawker. Now she is a supplier of fruit and vegetables to one of South Africa’s premier hotels‚ a large supermarket chain and other companies.
Sun International’s The Maslow today confirmed it has partnered with Mlipha to provide vegetables and other fresh produce for use in the award-winning hotel’s kitchens.
“The pioneering farmer will also be growing specific plants and Asian ingredients at the request of The Maslow’s new Executive Chef‚ Jason Millar‚ to support the hotel’s Lacuna Bistro’s new menu. Mlipha has already spent considerable time with Chef Millar to understand what sort of vegetable cuts are required to ensure optimal consistency and quality in line with his requirements‚” the hotel said.
To start‚ Mlipha will be delivering an average of 200 kilograms of fresh produce‚ cut to the hotel’s requirements‚ weekly. This equates to around 30% of the hotel’s fresh vegetable and fruit requirements.
Mlipha‚ originally from KwaZulu-Natal‚ started her business in Walkerville in 2007. She hires unemployed people from the nearby informal settlement to tend to her vegetables and fruit which grow on various surrounding plots of land which has taken on lease. She won the award for Top Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Agro Processing in 2010 from the Department of Agriculture.
Recently‚ she travelled to America at the invitation of the United States Consulate to represent South Africa in the African Women Entrepreneur Programme.
According to The Maslow’s General Manager‚ Johann Scheepers‚ the hotel is working to ensure that 80% of products and services procured are from small‚ empowered‚ black-owned enterprises.
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