Earthy

Earthy is an online supermarket that provide super fresh-food straight from small-medium food makers the next day to consumers through use of smart technology and logistics eliminating storage

Earthy is an online supermarket that supports small-medium food makers such as farmers, bakeries and fish auctions to access the market since they are being overpowered by large food makers companies. Through smart technology, Earthy utilizes it's Website and application to sell products that it sources from food makers. Earthy allows consumers to buy food products such as Vegetables, recipes, during  morning to evening have it delivered to consumers the next day within an hour ensuring that they get super fresh food.

Earthy helps small-medium farms, bakeries and fish auctions access the market and sell their produces , while providing ultra-fresh food to consumers ensuring that they access quality food.  Through our smart technology we ensure that consumers are able to access quality, tasty food. We intend to reduce the food wastage, and carbon footprint emission caused by food makers, retailers and logistics. 1 in 5 smallholder farmers are unable to sell most of their produces in South Africa, Facebook groups of farmers indicates huge evidence.

My target population is a young family that knows how to utilize e-commerce technology. They currently spend lots of money, time, and energy to go to the traditional supermarkets and wait long queues to be served. Whilst being sold products that have been kept in storage for much time which reduces the quality of those products. My solution will help this population to save time, money and energy and access food directly from its maker to the door of their homes. In case of cris like Covid, we make things easier for them. Through our recipes, they can make sure they spend less energy worrying of what to cook today, tomorrow or the following day.

Additionally, to care for the planet by helping to reduce carbon footprint and food wastage. Earthy will of course provide many jobs for the unemployed

I have conducted both online and physical research to determine the needs of my consumers. Of 20 of my former high school teachers and department employees I interviewed , 18 of them agrees that my solution will help them in many ways, with also the planet. They believe it's time for them to access quality products without the long chain of storage involved in traditional supermarkets. Of which the 2 remaining says that they are hesitant of purchasing a product they don't see physically.

Of the online research, it indicates that 41.1% of South African population buy goods online whilst the number is still growing.

Facebook is flooded by South African farms groups trying to sell their produces.

10 of the small and medium food makes agrees that with the impact of the pandemic and what the future challenges are to come , they believe Earthy will be the solution to the existence.

I am currently working with some of my potential buyers to acquire personal loans from them to fund the ongoing development of both the application and website.

I also work with my aunt who is a struggling small farmer to manual execute the idea and give my neighborhoods the taste of what they are missing.

Improving access of smallholder farmers, bakeries and fish auctions to the market. Improving access to ultra-fresh food to consumers. Reducing food wastage and carbon dioxide emission.

I have conducted a market research on both the consumers and food makers. I have consulted with a number of farmers affected and they have agreed that I have a better solution for them. I have completed a fully detailed business plan and I am currently enquiring on quotes about the costs involved in building both the Website and Application in South Africa. I have drafted the Terms and Conditions, the Privacy Policy in conformity to POPIA Act. I am currently working on drafting all the necessary policies.

Through, the website or application consumers are offered a day from specified morning to evening where they can search and choose food products from food makers such as farms, bakeries, fish auctions, Recipe makers, and add to their cart and check-out where they can pay through their debit or credit card. Once those orders have been received, our team will send those orders to our suppliers whom will organize those orders prior to the specified evening/early morning time where we go and collect them and bring them to our warehouse where they'll go through a strict quality check before being packaged and delivered to our customers desired destinations without spending time into storage. We utilize technology to suggest recipes/products that we think are best suitable for each family composition. We also use technology to suggest meal kits best suitable for them. During the delivery, customers can track and trace the delivery. We will constantly looking for ways to improve our technology

We plan to serve at least 1million people in the population of Gauteng(18million) province in the 1st year.

And in the 2nd year we plan to serve at least 2million in at least 5 provinces of the country

With Earthy, I plan to employ at least 450 employees in 3years through logistics, management, and warehouse.

I plan to help at least 650 small to medium local food makers access the market 

I plan to offer at least 2500 different good items by collaborating with at least 650 food makers

We plan to have zero carbon emission by 2035 by utilizing electric cars for delivery

We plan to reduce food wastage by not keeping unnecessary stock. We only order, when you order method.

I plan to distribute at least 2million food parcels in the first year, and 5million in the second year by making accessibility to quality, super fresh, tasty and affordable food

We plan to offer at least 20 internships to college students in our community through our different departments

We plan to invest and provide loans to at least 50 dedicated small-medium food makers  

To measure the progress towards net zero carbon footprint we will do so by calculating the number of cars available in our company and ensure that we increase efforts of permanently substituting them with electric cars. To measure the demand of ultra-fresh food products we are going to record age, family composition, and websites visiting this will help us determine their preferences. To measure the interest in our delivery we are going to keep records of different delivery timeslots with different prices. To measure our responsible consumption and production we are going to record every single item sold and use it to analyse consumers preferences and to measure the effectiveness of our method of reducing food wastage we are going to constantly conduct research on the effect we have on helping food makers reduce food wastage. The performance of small-medium food makers in the market will be reviewed based on the reduction of food wastage they have, influenced by our collaboration with them. A policy developed for HR to ensure that there's equal representation of all races, genders and that the previously disadvantaged are more prioritized. All records are to be presented to the company meetings to be reviewed.

We will record youth that participates in our youth empowerment programs of technology and provide them with resources to invent, this way we will be able to track the effectiveness of our programmes. Measure the impact of our company towards employment by constantly checking unemployment rate in communities of our operations

Lack of funds to fund the development of the company website and Application and their improvements, and maintenance.

Lack of funds to purchase computers.

 Lack of funds to access legal assistance such as drawing-up of contracts, consultation, company registrations, obtaining relevant licenses.

Lack of funds to fund the marketing and advertising of the company.

Lack of funds to access warehouse renting and it's resources such as machines and packaging.

Lack of Funds for the payment of utilities and Internet.

Lack of funds for the purchasing of company furniture's

I am still 21 but I have experience as a Young Ambassador of an NPO(Parliament Of the People), I am a former President of Representative Council of Learners of my high school, I have an experience in volunteerism at Field Of Dreams teaching mathematics to children, I have worked as a general worker at farm that produces food and plants for 3years during part-time and I achieved a 2nd position matriculant top-achiever in Gauteng West Rural Schools Quintiles 1-3.

I am working with a friend who is a photographer with 2years of experience to capture pictures required for the website. I do not pay him much because he understand my financial and his trying to help.

I have just secured a deal with a Web development company from Cape Town called Techee Web Solutions(Teacher.co.za) that allows me to make monthly payments for the development of the e-commerce website. The company has 2years of experience and has completed 12projects so far.

I have partnered with Techee Web Solutions from Cape Town to develop the website for the incoming startup at an affordable price. They charged me R10 850 for the development of the Website, it's marketing, hosting, and maintenance