About seven years ago, Thandi Sityodana and Akhona Mgqweto walked about 9km from Wellington to Sonlia Packhouse in the Western Cape and asked Sonlia CEO JC Müller if they could do their internship there. Moved by their determination, Müller gave them a lift home and told them to start on Monday.
The two women completed their year-long internship, which marked the beginning of Sonlia’s internship programme. Some years the programme is funded by AgriSETA, and other times it is self-funded.
At first, Müller took on two interns at a time but as the packhouse expanded, he began taking two per packhouse. Gender did not matter, though early on, only women participated.
The internship starts with basic tasks, like sorting in the packhouse for a month or two. After that, they move to pack alongside the workers.
As the year progresses, interns learn to do quality checks, like testing sugar levels, and then join the quality control team. They also get hands-on experience with computer systems for intake processes. By the time they finish their year, interns are familiar with all aspects of the packhouse procedure.
Müller or a line manager helps the interns with assignments they have to complete during their year. Sometimes, these tasks require them to visit a farm. The farm manager at one of the Sonlia farms in Tulbagh assists them for a day or two.
At the end of the year, the interns receive their diplomas from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) if they make the cut, which unfortunately does not always happen.
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Success stories at Sonlia
Whether the programme receives funding or not, Sonlia continues to host work placements to help them build careers in the industry. Müller hopes for more success stories and is happy to see a few already emerging. For instance, one intern stayed for another year after graduating, going the extra mile, and now works at Sawmill Packhouse in Franschhoek.
Thembakazi Dyantyi is another success story. She did not do her internship at Sonlia but completed her graduate placement there. After six years at the packhouse, she now runs the night shift’s quality control and is being groomed for a management role.
Mongi Silimela, another standout, finished his internship last year and is currently in a graduate placement. Although there is no funding for his role, his passion for computers and determination to learn makes him a crucial member of the night shift.
Müller’s passion is people. He loves working with them, watching them develop, and giving them the chance to grow. Sonlia’s commitment extends to all its employees. The farm has partnered with Procare, which visits weekly to provide social welfare services and offer training for supervisors.
Sonlia is also building a crèche and is training two staff members to run it. These team members go to Paarl for training one week each month, enjoying the opportunity, and embracing the chance to receive further training.
Müller acknowledges that there have been failures, but he believes one success story can make up for 20 failures. There is always a good story in the end.
- This article was first published by Hortgro.
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