KEYONE DISHWASHER HITS THE MARKET

For the hardworking -Makgarebe Nthoiwa, standards are very important when it comes to a business, as she announces her new dish washing liquid called ‘Keyone’. The ambitious Nthoiwa is of the view that, in order for a product to be introduced to the market, it should meet the required selling standards and be of good quality to the buyer. In 2019, while she was in Lesotho, she learnt how to make cleaning detergents and drinking juices.

Much aware that this could become a business opportunity for her, she did not rush into the project but kept on assessing the market and learning more about the two products. She tells Sun Business that in January, she started off with the drinking juice product while observing feedback from the customers. Just recently, she introduced ‘Ke Yone’ dish washing liquid.

“I took my time after a certain lady in Lesotho taught me how to make these products in 2019, because I surely wanted to make products that would permanently stay in the market,” she says. The dish washing liquid has satisfied Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) standards. “It is now BOBS certified, and I am left with a few processes to enable me to display the product at local shops for wider consumption,” she explains. She says the product is currently doing well.

Nthoiwa tells this publication that she cannot wait to distribute to different shops at a larger scale. She is of the view that in order for a business to run smoothly, no short cuts should be taken and a business person has to observe the market before they could launch a product.

“I am going to be in need of operational space once I start to supply shops because obviously the demand is going to become higher than now,” she says. She reiterates that being patient in business is necessary as sometimes rushing into things end up ruining the reputation of a business.

She is currently focusing on the dish wash liquid as it is already OBS certified. “I am supposed to also take the juice samples to BOBS as well as National Food Technology Research Centre (NFTEC) for the required nutritional ingredients found in juices,” she shares. Once she has managed to get the juice approved for trading standards, it would be seen on local shops shelves too. Nthoiwa is of the view that local produce is critical especially during these times of the pandemic, as it may reduce the country’s import bill.