A young local man is wreaking havoc in the business space and township economy after launching his brand of jam.
Gontse Selaocoe is based in the Vaal, Orange Farm, and started his jam-making company, All Day Jam at the age of 19.
Now 23, Selaocoe also grows and sells vegetables in his area, he reveals he is inspired by his grandmother who made jam back in the day.
“I spend a lot of hours in the garden or in the streets selling,” he tells Drum.
The budding businessman says he decided to venture into entrepreneurship at high school and decided to enter a competition that introduced the nitty-gritty of start-ups.
“One day, I went into my grandparents’ house and I was so hungry. While making bread and jam, it tasted so good that I asked my grandmother why she doesn’t sell the jam she makes because it tastes so good.
“She said to me, ‘why don’t you do it yourself?’.”
As someone who wears Converse All-Star takkies and the Dickies outfits, Selaocoe says he decided to take his R1000 and invested in his business – instead of buying new sneakers.
“I took the R1 000 I had, and I bought plastic bottles and then the work started,” he continued.
“All Day Jam makes melon, peach, pear, and tomato flavoured jam. We plant everything except pear.
“No one in the family had thought of doing this before. Making jam was something they grew up doing and in fact, had no choice but to be part of.”
Speaking about his dreams, Gontse says he remains keen to have his own land and operate his business because he is confident it will grow.
“My ultimate dream is to have land where I can operate from. As the business grows, it becomes very difficult to plant as we wish,” said the ambitious businessman.
“Also, I don’t have proper storage facilities like tunnels for tomatoes, and now with the melon that is all over the yard.
“There is a lot to still learn but it is a journey I have given my heart and all my faith to.”
“We should be proud of who we are and where we come from without trying to be like other people. Some people have told me that since I am in business I need to stop dressing like a pantsula because it is not ‘business-like’ but that is not going to happen.”