They let him sell the bread in their store, rent-free for the following year. This enabled him to save enough to buy equipment and bicycles (for delivery). He also successfully raised funds via the Thundafund Crowd funding platform and successfully graduated from the Raymond Ackerman Academy in Entrepreneurship Development.
He went on to win the SAB (business) Innovation Award in 2014. He utilized the prize money to open his first “green” bakery. This is an express bakery where they bake and sell.
The same year Forbes Magazine listed the Spinach King as one of the upcoming, innovative concepts in Africa. This was his year; it was when he attended the Discovery Vitality Summit that his path crossed with Ross Faragher-Thomas, MD of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Active Group.
He proceeded this by attending the Planet Expo in Italy and started supplying Hotel Verde, Africa’s greenest Hotel. He received the Western Cape Premier’s Entrepreneurship Recognition Awards for best emerging Agro-processing business. Ross kept his promise. Virgin Active sponsored the Spinach King Healthy Food Cafe near Khayelitsha Mall- his second bakery.
The Cafe is for baking and selling, and has three tables outside with space for several more. It is made out of two large green- painted shipping containers. Spinach grows on wooden shelves along the outside wall. The container is Ecco friendly, the first solar based green bakery. The exterior includes an organic garden where Lufefe grows vegetables and herbs used in his products.
The Cafe boast a “Popeye Wrap” and the house specialty is a meatless green burger- a spinach bun with fried vegetables drizzle with a spinach sauce. Another twist is the “Blender Bikes” The bikes are stationary with blenders attached and powered by pedaling. Customers riding the Blender Bikes, will produce their own smoothie of choice – blended the Virgin Active Way.
Blender Bikes to biodegradable bags. Lufefe only use PLA bags. “These bags look like clear plastic bags but are made from renewable plant materials instead of petroleum- based plastics. They do not contain any toxins and their production creates significantly lower greenhouse emissions than those made from conventional plastic.”
“The Espinaca Innovations delivery team delivers bread locally on bicycles. They are selling healthy products, promoting a healthy lifestyle and minimising the carbon footprint of the bakery.”
The next interesting development on the cards is that Espinaca Innovations, together with the assistance of Cornell University in America, has developed Spinach Chips, a healthy alternative to potato chips, that is due to be released soon.
His dream is not only to grow a big business, he is starting to do just that, and has already sold a license to a business in Washington DC in the US and one locally. Espinaca Innovations is going global. He also wants to own something that can serve his community, like a Spinach Farm. “I wish to positively change the eating habits of the people in the township.”
Lufefe Nomjana does Tata Madiba’s statement proud. Nelson Mandela said: “There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.”
We would like to say that Viva Lufefe will simply tell you it is all about community and Viva Espinaca!
Visit www.spinachking.co.za for more information and fun facts on spinach. Lufefe shares his story and views on sustainability in the following link.
Our guest writer from South Africa, Bernadette Erasmus writes a blog Kaleidoscope