Community food gardens reap rewards at Shoprite Market Day

Surihe Gaomas-Guchu

Fresh organic vegetables grown by Namibian community gardeners were quickly sold out at Shoprite Lafrenz in Windhoek during the retailer’s Market Day initiative held last week Tuesday. 

The programme gives local community gardeners a platform to sell their vegetables directly to shoppers through a pop-up retail market, while also gaining valuable experience in running and marketing their businesses.

Among the participants were Groot Aub Fresh Producers and Hope Garden Lighthouse, which are part of a network of more than 320 community gardens supported by the Shoprite Group across southern Africa. The initiative aims to strengthen food security and create sustainable livelihoods in local communities.

Shoprite Group’s Chief Sustainability Officer Sanjeev Raghubir said Market Day offers benefits that extend beyond the sale of fresh produce.

“Market Day is about so much more than the spinach, fresh herbs and the wide variety of farm-fresh seasonal products that customers can purchase,” he said in a press statement.

“When shoppers interact with growers in a market setting, it’s not only trading that takes place. This relaxed yet professional exchange is intended to help build confidence among the sellers, while giving buyers an opportunity to connect directly with the people behind the produce,” he said. 

The retailer also uses the initiative to equip growers with practical business skills, including product presentation, pricing, customer relations, communication, and record-keeping.

On the outskirts of Windhoek, Groot Aub Fresh Producers cultivates a variety of crops that are sold within the community while creating employment opportunities for residents. Surplus produce from the six-year-old garden is often donated to a nearby old-age home and community centre.

Julia Haipinge, a member of the project, said the garden has become an important source of food security and income for participating families.

“Being part of the community garden plays a big role in our life as a family, by contributing to food security in our country at large,” she said.

“I always look forward to participating in Market Day, where we provide affordable products to our community and give away some produce to the most vulnerable. At the same time, we are learning customer service and hospitality from Shoprite, so that we can better supply in bulk.”

Beyond Market Day, the Shoprite Group continues to support community food gardens through its Act for Change programme, which provides training, seedlings and infrastructure support to hundreds of gardens.

“Market Day is a manifestation of an ethos that where vegetables grow, so does hope,” Raghubir said. 

“We couldn’t be prouder of all the gardeners, whose enthusiasm, dedication and hard work continue to improve lives and livelihoods,” he said. 

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