Selling mukusule (dried vegetables) can be a major source of income if one has proper planning and good business skills. This is according to Ms Selinah Mathelemusa (58) of Tshisele village, near Thohoyandou, who had found solace in selling mukusule for the past 24 years.

She says there are many ways of making money, but people are lazy to come up with unique plans and techniques. “I actively involved myself in selling mukusule in 1982. That was when I realized that I could not just relax at home to become a burden to my photographer husband, George. Although it started as a trial venture, I defied all odds until I established myself in this unusual business.” She says her entrepreneurial spirit arose when she was still a teenager. “I used to walk to New England (Levubu), about 35km from my home, to buy potatoes that I would sell from house to house to my fellow villagers. The business was starting to shape up and I decided to start selling vege-tables at Sibasa bus rank in 1982. There were few hawkers there, and we were selling the same vegetables. That was where the idea of selling mukusule came to my mind!”

She says the advantage of her small business is that she plants the vegetable on her own home garden and dries them on her own. “I have a garden at home where I plant phuri (indigenous pumpkin) and munawa (beans) plants. I cut them when they are still fresh so that they may still have that delicious taste even after drying.” She explains how she makes mukusule: “I place the fresh vegetable into a big pot and boil the contents for about two hours. I do not add salt or spices because I have some customers who do not go for them. Thereafter, I place the vegetables on neat trays in the sun to let them dry for the whole day. The next day, they are be ready for selling.”

Selinah believes that nothing is impossible if one has proper planning and good customer care. “You have to be friendly with customers to succeed in this type of business. You must have proper communication skills and wear a smiling face because sometimes you have to persuade a customer to buy from you.”

She has recently added mashonzha (mopani worms), tomatoes, bananas and fruits to her makeshift table in Thohoyandou Town. “It pained me when customers bought mukusule from me and proceeded to some other place to buy tomatoes and fruits. I decided to rope them in and the business is now doing well.” Her mukusule sells at R10 a beaker and she says she can make about R90 a day on average. “On busy days, I can make up to R200 and this is enough to keep my family fire burning.”