"I fell in love with flowers when I was just a little girl. I would find myself picking flowers from the bush or trees just to put them on my head or in my pocket. I never knew or thought that flowers could be sold then."
Thompho Faith Tsibi (25) is a florist from Makwarela who specialises in gift flowers and has carved a viable niche in this less-pursued field in Vhembe.
"As I was growing up, I came to learn that there are shops and people who actually sell flowers," she said. "I also came to know that sellers are called florists."
Tsibi is a business management graduate from Damelin College. Since she realised her passion for flowers, she felt she was ready to turn it into a business, which she named Poshmint Florist.
"I managed to establish it by experiencing the Venda market first-hand, and then marketing it through social media and making people aware of the meaning of certain flowers, which they found very exciting."
However, she came across challenges when she started out, such as a lack of knowledge in flower handling and storage. "My flowers would die after just two days that I stocked them," she said. "I had to study up on flowers, learn how to cut the stems, how to water them, about flower food and the temperature that different flowers grow in."
She said that flowers could express something beautiful to their recipient, such as love, gratitude, romance, passion, purity, prosperity, friendship, loss, pride, and many other feelings.
"Flowers to me mean everything in life. They are also a part of important occasions in our lives," she said. "They are conspicuously present on birthdays, funerals, graduations, and weddings, forming an integral part of our lives. Some flowers have religious significance too. It is amazing how they can bring so much joy to people's lives."
So far, Tsibi's business is doing well. She operates from either her home or the Managa Complex in Thohoyandou.