Please don't fall into the same trap I did!!!

Update (9 August 2025) - Microthumbs continue to evade payment or commitments to paying the money owed. They offered me a payment plan of R10000 per month - which would mean they would take around 4 years (considering interest) to pay me back. In the meantime I have made contact with a host of other farmers with similar and worse stories of non-payment, not receiving equipment, ********* business practices etc.

So far this 'investment' has now cost me R270000 to 'buy in' (money which has disappeared - Microthumbs insist they own no assets, and the directors maintain they don't have any assets personally (I have all of these conversations on record)). It has also cost me R6000 to move to a property where I could rent a warehouse (R3000 per month since December 2024, amounting to R27000 so far), I have not received any form of interest (roughly calculated as about R11000 so far), and I have incurred legal costs of R5000 in an attempt to recover my investment. This means they owe me R313000 (If I don't invoice for the cost of the move). Furthermore they projected a return in excess of R25000 on the basic plan per month, telling me it would take about 3 months to get on my feet. I bought the executive package - about 3 times the cost of the basic package. So I am also losing any opportunity of investing this money in a new venture to somehow earn a fixed income.

Last night they sent me - wait for it - a proof of payment for a full R1000. What a slap in the face.

As a widow it has been a battle over the last 18 months to first try and put a life back together, to find a way to earn a fixed living. To then be stepped on like this, have my money disappear into the pockets of ********* 'business' people, having to fight to get something back after they had the enjoyment of MY funds for over 8 months, I cannot even begin to describe the trauma and anxiety on top of the loss and pain I already endured.