Meet Nokukhanya Mncwabe, the visible force behind Matawi. After over ten years of practicing human rights, Nokukhanya decided to devote all of her time to Matawi. Despite contributing to the development and reform of several human rights frameworks and policies, she felt these did not change the material circumstances of people living in poverty practically. She realized she needed to get her hands dirty, so she decided to pull up her sleeves and get started! It is through Matawi that Khanya hopes to contribute to job creation and other income-generating opportunities in historically disadvantaged communities in South Africa.
Matawi is a South African-based alcoholic honey beverage company that is 100% black woman-owned and managed. The name Matawi, which means "branches" in Swahili, was chosen to symbolize the company's mission of branching out and making a difference. The company was incorporated in 2018, following the worst drought the Western Cape had experienced in over a century. This drought brought the Province's taps perilously close to running dry and motivated Matawi's founders to create a business that contributes to water conservation.
Matawi's founders were mindful that a considerable percentage of the Western Cape's water sustains agriculture, of which the wine and craft spirit market is a sizeable sector. They sought to identify a less-water intensive form of alcohol, which could sustain income-generation and job-creation. After careful consideration, they singled out mead/alcoholic honey beverages since they dispense with the need to irrigate base ingredients for months, restricting water usage to production. This translates to just a fraction of the water needed to make wine, beer, vodka, etc.
How are you guys planning to have your alcohol brand available in stores? “We have been fortunate to connect with and learn from other black liquor producers, which has been invaluable in guiding our growth and development. We have also undergone export-readiness training with the support of the Cape Chamber of Commerce, which has equipped us with the necessary skills to expand beyond South Africa's borders.
Regarding our move to have our alcohol brand in stores, we have learned that it is more complex than we initially anticipated. We have approached independent liquor stores in the past, but it became apparent that it was not cost-efficient to self-distribute our product. With our low production volumes, it was challenging to accommodate wholesale pricing.
However, we are currently in discussions with a trade solutions company that supports small businesses, which will guide us on the requisite services - distribution, key accounting, merchandising, marketing, and in-store promotions, etc. We are excited about this milestone and will keep Konvenient Mag updated on our progress”.
The appeal of mead was also its taste versatility, conducive to anchoring a diverse product portfolio. The Matawi range is all-natural, relying solely on honey, fruits, teas, and botanicals for flavorants. The range comprises a braggot (mead, craft beer blend), distilled mead (honey gin), mead liqueur, and soon to be launched mead mixer (a fruit-infused, ready-to-drink mead).
Matawi is not only a for-profit venture with a clear environmental ethos of contributing to water conservation, but it also positions itself as a social impact business. The company strives to secure the ancillary benefits of reviving indigenous mead-making heritage to entrench a sophisticated "iqhilika" brand, promoting responsible production and consumption, and creating a value chain facilitating market access, at assured fair prices, to African beekeepers/honey suppliers and small producers of fruits, herbs, teas, and botanicals. This is aimed at creating income-generating and employment opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities, rural women and youth in particular, to alleviate entrenched poverty and inequality in South Africa. Hence the company's tagline: "Matawi is great for your palate, and the planet!"
As we are wrapping up, what are the highlight as the company thus far? “As a start-up, Matawi has achieved several significant milestones since its inception in 2018. One of our greatest achievements has been navigating the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions on alcohol sales. We are proud to have survived this difficult time, thanks to our commitment and resilience.
Another highlight was winning first place and R100,000 in the Investec prize at Startup School Africa's 2020 pitch competition. This recognition has given us a significant boost, both in terms of credibility and financial support.
We have also made strides in expanding our reach by creating our e-commerce store and listing our products on platforms such as Brownsense and more recently, Takealot. These steps have enabled us to reach a broader audience and improve access to our products”.