Waisea Tokikiviro and his wife, Dijana Green-Tokikiviro, have been inspired by the love of the Fijian people to establish a business in Nadi.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, their families in Fiji lost their jobs. To help, they asked their families to start producing handicrafts to send to Australia for sale.
When the Australian government allowed the import of yaqona, the couple decided to venture into this business. “This enabled us to keep our family members employed while we helped provide for them,” said Green-Tokikiviro, founder and CEO of Elevating Food Safety Pty Limited.
As their business grew, Mr. Tokikiviro began importing seafood from Fiji to sell in Australia. “We found a local business partner to meet all requirements. It has now been two years, and we’re going strong,” she said.
To further grow their business, they set up a seafood processing plant in Fiji to supply fresh products locally and internationally. This business model allows villages to harvest seafood and supply Pacifika Delicacies, a seafood shop and processing factory in Martintar, Nadi.
“Our new business in Fiji sources seafood locally and sends it to Australia,” she said. “We will also sell the seafood to locals in Fiji, supporting the local community, family, and friends with this exciting new concept.”
The initial investment was F$250,000, with ongoing investments of F$200,000 per year. The business will employ three full-time and four part-time employees. Its head office is in Sydney, Australia.
“We can manage the business remotely with the shop based in Fiji,” she noted.
Additionally, seven years ago, Green-Tokikiviro represented the Parramatta Eels in Fiji and worked alongside her husband, who was the Nadi Eels Rugby League Club president.