SWAADY MARTIN-LEKE

YSWARA LUXURY TEAS

Swaady Martin-Leke wants to showcase Africa through her line of Yswara luxury teas. An infusion of creativity and exotic tastes, the teas sell for about R200 per 100g.

Tea is my favourite beverage. I was looking for an innovative business opportunity to create something that is truly African. It made sense, because many people don’t know that Africa is one of the top three producers and exporters of tea in the world.

My top seller is the Shaka Zulu. It is a blend of rooibos, roses, cherries, chilli peppers and saffron.

I have used hibiscus from Sudan, lemon grass from Nigeria, Madagascan vanilla, South African rooibos. The best of our teas come from Rwanda, Malawi and the Cong o.

Doing what we are doing is not easy. To stay competitive globally, keeping supplies stable is tough. But we are learning every day.

I always add something sweet to my teas, like candied pineapple, strawberry or chocolate drops, so they don’t need added sugar. I experiment a lot, and I have had lessons in tea blending. I try anything that sounds like it would make for a great blend. It has been a passion for many years. I am originally from the Ivory Coast and

Guinea, but I went to school in Switzerland and lived in a handful of different countries.

Where can we find Yswara teas? The Saxon locally, the Four Seasons in Mauritius, Luminance in Hyde Park Corner, Cavalli in Cape Town, a few stores in Lagos. We are also in a few online stores. — ....................................................