13/08/2025
🌱 Building a Brand from the Ground Up: Lessons from Sinethemba Zwane 🇿🇦
From Ndwedwe, KZN, Sinethemba Zwane is proving that agriculture isn’t just for big corporations — it’s a business opportunity for anyone with vision, discipline, and consistency.
At a young age, she founded UFarm Julia, a proudly South African brand producing:
🥜 Organic Peanut Butter — R45 per jar
🌶️ Chilli Sauce — recently launched and already gaining loyal customers
What I've learnt from Sinethemba’s Journey is that:
1️⃣ Start where you are — She began in her own community, using what she had.
2️⃣ Focus on niche products — Organic, locally made, high-quality.
3️⃣ Price for value — Affordable enough to move volume, but still profitable.
4️⃣ Build a brand, not just a product — UFarm Julia is more than food, it’s a story of youth empowerment and ownership.
5️⃣ Leverage word-of-mouth marketing — Happy customers become brand ambassadors.
Takeaway: You don’t have to wait for “the right time” or “big capital” to start a business. Focus on what you can create now, solve a real need, and grow from there.
