Consumers have sweet tooth for Kgarose’s potato yoghurt
Root vegetable a healthier choice
A young entrepreneur from Limpopo is producing yoghurt from sweet potatoes. Edward Molatelo Kgarose, 29, is the founder of Kgarose Kgaros, a company that produces sweet potato yoghurt in three flavours, namely banana, strawberry and apricot.
The entrepreneur from GaMolepo village in Thabamoopo in the Capricorn district municipality of Limpopo, identified a gap in the market and is now using the root vegetable to provide consumers with a healthier choice for drinking yoghurts. Kgarose, who has qualifications in marketing management, told the government publication Vuk’uzenzele that he saw a gap in the food sector and decided to exploit it. He then researched the health benefits of sweet potatoes and started his business in 2016.
He found out that sweet potatoes are a low-sugar vegetable, a good blood regulator while also high in fibre, vitamins and calcium. “Sweet potatoes have a neutral flavour and easily blend with other flavours.
‘‘ Sweet potatoes have high plant protein levels and low calories
“They also have high plant protein levels and low calories, which make them a healthy and smart choice compared to other starchy root vegetables,” said Kgarose. He said the product was lab tested and safe for human consumption. Kgarose is one of the young people who have heeded government’s call to consider entrepreneurship as a way of helping the economy grow, create jobs and fight youth unemployment.
In the two years that his business has been in operation, he has employed four people in his province and has plans to open a mini-factory in Germiston in Gauteng soon. His product is available at two retail stores in Polokwane. Over the years, the government has urged the private sector to support emerging small businesses to assist SA grow the economy by generating meaningful economic activity in townships, rural villages and towns. Kgarose has received support of about R70 000 from the Shoprite Hustle competition. His company has also won about R50 000 from SABC1’s Making Moves entrepreneurial show. “With all the funds I received, I managed to buy some small equipment that has enabled me to produce 500 units of 385g of yoghurt per day,” he explained.
This article first appeared in ■ Government Communication and Information System’s Vukuzenzele