What do space hoppers, hay balls and livestock syringes have in common? On one family-run farm, they’re all essential tools of the trade — thanks to the direct-from-factory shopping platform: Temu.
Philip Stewart, 28, runs his 161,000 hectare family farm with around 250 dairy beef calves. After completing his farming qualifications in 2016, Philip continued a story that began in 1938, when his grandfather first founded the farm. There is never a dull or quiet moment around the place, especially as the new-age Stewarts have launched an on-site ‘farm shop’ featuring a pumpkin patch, sunflower trail, and shelves stocked with Stewart Family beef, pork, and honey, and other local produce. They invite people to visit and indulge in a farm-to-plate experience.
To support this operation and the needs of their animals, Philip and Liv turned to Temu for everything from kitted sunflower baby hats and pumpkin patch-themed decorations to farm-grade syringes and calf enrichment toys – including a space hopper doing double duty in the barn.
“Happy calves need enrichment, and the Temu space hopper – usually a children’s toy – is keeping the bulls entertained in the barn day and night,” said Philip.
For just R160, the Stewarts were also able to stock up on vital farm consumables, testing out items that not only proved reliable but also durable, including the hay balls that now fill the calves’ pens daily.
The Stewart’s also picked up a vaccine gun, 20 syringes and several bottles – consignments of this size have previously been difficult to access in the countryside, Phillip admits.
“We use a large bag of syringes and bottles every week for multi-mineral shots and vaccines,” he said. “But the local co-op usually sells vaccine consumables in batches of five or ten. We just need consumable quantities that work for our commercial scale – Temu had them and we got them fast. And when our dosing gun broke, we had spares ready to go. It was a lifesaver.”
“Our friends and fellow farmers were sceptical at first,” Phillip said. “But Liv was right – Temu does what it says on the box. And now our friends are asking where we got everything.”
According to an Ipsos consumer survey commissioned by Temu, respondents said they have saved an average of 24% by shopping on the direct-from-factory platform, with 80% praising it for delivering strong value for money.
In South Africa, a recent News24 survey found that one in three respondents have used Temu, and nearly 40% shop on the platform on a monthly basis — a sign of its rapidly growing footprint and local relevance.
Much like the Stewart family, South African farmers are increasingly exploring diverse avenues to optimise their operations and enhance profitability. A notable trend in South Africa is the growing interest in agri-tourism and farm-to-table initiatives, with farmers diversifying their income streams by inviting the public to experience farm life, purchase fresh produce directly, and engage in activities like pumpkin patches and sunflower trails – a model mirroring the Stewart’s on-site farm shop. This direct engagement with consumers allows for value addition and builds resilience in a sector facing fluctuating commodity prices and rising input costs.
