- Shiluva Kubayi started Heavenly Florals Nursery in Nkowankowa to sell affordable cut flowers to local people and two funeral parlours.
- A storm destroyed her entire business in December last year, but she spent R100,000 to rebuild her greenhouse and replant.
Shiluva Kubayi is a qualified horticulturist who could not find a job. Instead of waiting for government work, she used her savings to start a small business in her parents’ backyard.
Her early costs were low. She bought basic items like seedlings, soil and water pipes. As she made money, she put the profits back into the business to help it grow.
Today, she runs Heavenly Florals Nursery in Nkowankowa, outside Tzaneen in Limpopo. She has a fully working nursery with two permanent workers.
She sells cut flowers to event planners, local people and two funeral parlours. Her prices start at R60.
To save money, Kubayi uses flowers that make their own seeds. This means she can grow new plants without buying fresh stock.
“I believe that flowers should be affordable and accessible to everyone,” she said.
In December last year, a storm destroyed her plants and greenhouse. It was a big setback that affected her stock and future income.
She spent nearly R100,000 to rebuild her greenhouse.
“I was able to recover by staying resilient and rebuilding step by step,” she said.
Kubayi said the tough experience made her a better problem-solver and made her more committed to the business. She wishes she had built a stronger greenhouse from the start to handle bad weather.
Her hard work was noticed in March when she won the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Tzaneen Chamber of Commerce.
She advises other young people who want to start businesses to show up every day, even when it is hard.
“Being resourceful has helped me manage costs and sustain the business,” she said.
Pictured above: Heavenly Florals Nursery.
Image source: Supplied
