Afri Sunflower fills industry gap
One might say the government-imposed ban on certain goods has done wonders for local producers in the country as more people are turning innovative and starting their businesses. Dr Thomas Gilbert, is one such individual who followed suit when the opportunity presented itself, started producing cooking oil called Afri Sunflower, which was showcased at the Ditshupo Hall at the 2022 Global Expo early this month.
BusinessMonitor caught up with the Afri Sunflower agent at the expo, Mphoentle Kgolego who said the business was created after realising a gap in the industry.
“The company was started last year in August and the reception has been good. Our plant is based in Selebi-Phikwe. We produce about 2,150 litres and package the cooking oil into two-litre bottles.
In a month we produce about 64,800 litres of cooking oil,” she said.Afri Sunflower Cooking Oil is accessible in different proportions from 750ml, two litres, five litres, to 20 litres.
Mostly clientele comprises individuals and retailers across the country. Currently, they are supplying the Botswana Defence Force, Saverite supermarkets and the Bobirwa Sub-District Council. The company is also in talks with other retailers, which include Woolworths and Fours, which are at an advanced stage.
“The reception has been good and the demand is high but there is room for improvement as we want to grow our client base and supply our product across the country. We are hoping to have our product in most local retailers soon and looking at the negotiations, this might happen any time soon,” she said.
To beat the competition, Kgolego said Afri Sunflower is unique as it is produced using a variety of sunflower types adding that the oil they make is made from Russian mammoth sunflower, which is the one that they use if they want the oil to have viscosity. They also use Jupiter, which makes the cooking less thick compared to the one made of Russian mammoth only. For now, she said the company has not had challenges as the company is doing well for one that is a year old but Kgolego went on to appeal to Batswana at large to continue supporting their business as they cannot do this without them. She said she wishes to see Afri Sunflower cooking oil penetrating the international market soon.