*WHO WE ARE*
Tholoana Orchard Society (TOC) is an agricultural cooperative under the National University of Lesotho (NUL) Innovation Hub formed to invest in, and own fruit orchards throughout the country. Tholoana further intends to acquire suitable lands of the motherland to grow special, selected herbs which will be harvested and processed to produce herbal teas, essential oils and the likes.
[WhatsApp The CEO of Tholoana Orchard Society, Mr Retsepile Matamane, here for more details: +266 63629058]
*HOW WILL THIS BE ACHIEVED?*
Suitable lands will be acquired and our team of specialists will inspect the fields to provide a prescription of which fruit trees will be suitable for respective fields. Therefore various fruit orchards will be established, the likes of grapes, peaches
, pears
, even strawberries
and rose-hips
. Alongside every orchard, factories will be erected to process the fruits into different kind of products such as wines, fruit juices, dried fruits, oils, jams, canned fruits and so on. Selected herbs such as lemon verberna will be planted and harnessed to make herbal teas.
*HOW WILL MEMBERS BENEFIT?*
Members will become shareholders in every business that will be established by the coop.
Shareholding will be built through monthly contribution at a rate of M50/share, meaning, if one is interested in buying three shares per month,the member will be paying M150 every month until he/she decides to increase or decrease the contribution. The minimum month contribution remains M50. Yes, members have the flexibility to increase or decrease their contribution. Dividends will be based on each member’s shareholding at any given moment in time.
*WHO CAN BECOME A MEMBER?*
Any Mosotho citizen with the right identification documents (ID/Passport) and a functioning bank account in any of the banks in Lesotho. Lesotho’s Cooperatives Act does not allow membership of non-citizens.
*HOW CAN I JOIN?*
You can become a member by simply;
1. Paying M250.00 (M200 membership fee + M50 shareholding [seabo]) to the Coop’s bank account [account #: *9080007805930*, Standard Lesotho Bank, Roma Branch, Branch Code 062867]. Payments can be made at any Standard Lesotho Bank branch or via electronic fund transfer (EFT).
2. and Sending a proof of payment and copy of ID (no need to certify) in a form of scanned files or screenshot/photo to tholoanaorchardsoc@gmail.com or via my WhatsApp line. (+26663629058) in case you encounter some technical difficulty when sending via email.
3. You will receive a Membership Agreement Form which you have to send back after signing.
4. An online platform is being set up to allow for monthly contribution of your choice. The monthly contribution has not yet started.
5. Bank charges may apply depending on your bank. Furthermore, a mobile money system (Mpesa & Ecocash) is also being set up to enable people with no bank account to contribute.
* FOR HOW LONG DO I KEEP CONTRIBUTING*
Tholoana Orchard Society is a long-term investment kind of business. So there is no limit to how long you will contribute.
*WHAT MAKES THOLOANA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES?*
Good question
1. At TOCS, we’re 100% paper-free So? So all the transactions are made electronically and through a bank, meaning, permanent records of transactions remain with the bank and such transactions are traceable. This provides transparency and investor convidence.
2. In addition, a website is currently being developed which will not only allow interested people to join from anywhere in the world but will also enable members to monitor their investments and all the activities of the coop. _*We don’t just take pride in 100% accountability but in 100% transparency as well*_
3. Operating under the NUL Innovation Hub, we constantly seek to do business differently. We seek innovative approaches to the problem of fruit production and processing.
Join today and be part of the revolution that will transform Lesotho’s agricultural landscape to a whole new level.
