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Sizolwenkosi Mazolo, Founder and Owner of Homegrown Pvt Ltd is a pioneering entrepreneur dedicated to revolutionizing the way people produce, consume, and preserve food. With a passion for sustainable agriculture and reducing food waste, Sizolwenkosi established Homegrown to specialize in the value addition of fruits and vegetables through innovative freezing, canning, and drying techniques.
Homegrown’s mission is threefold. On one hand, the company is working to reduce food waste by utilizing surplus produce and extending shelf life through preservation methods.
Her company is also providing convenient, healthy, and wholesome food options for busy, overworked, and health-conscious individuals, making meal preparation easier and faster. They also support disaster-stricken areas by supplying canned foods and ensuring access to nutritious food during crises.
“Our mission is to reduce food waste by promoting responsible production and consumption. Our packaging is designed to help the consumer use typically only what they need at that moment and store away the rest to ensure the reduction of household food waste. Along the same line, a typical adult in this generation has a job, goes to school, has a family and they have a side hustle. People simply do not have time to prepare and enjoy healthy food. Hence the convenience and easy aspect of our products,” Mazolo said.
Homegrown products have previously been listed in various supermarkets in Zimbabwe, some of which are Food Lovers Market Borrowdale, Food Basket, and Fresh Grocer.
“However, due to exchange rate challenges, we’ve had to distribute on our own. We are currently in the process of engaging distributors again and at the moment our products are found at Spice Hub Harare and we’ll be going to Bulawayo soon.
“We have had the opportunity to participate in the Zimtrade Eagles Nest program, the African Union Second MSMEs Forum, and exhibited at the Intra Africa Trade Fair in Cairo through the Africa Women In Processing by the African Union,” she added.