The Founder of Cold Brew ginger is the phenomenal Lwanda Bana, East London-born and grew up in King Williams Town in the Eastern Cape. Lwanda is one of five siblings in a family with one sister and four brothers. Sadly, Lwanda's eldest brother passed away in 2019. The young entrepreneur and creative grew up a sports fanatic who loved cricket and football and was intrigued by the world of entertainment, which led him to study Media, Communication & Culture at NMU, majoring in Public Relations. "In my first business, I Brand-managed some of the biggest artists in the country from Okmalumkoolkat, Jub Jub, Stilo Magolide, KO, Elle, J-Smash. In 2019, I moved back to the Eastern Cape and decided to open a second business venture outside entertainment to diversify my income streams", he said.
When did you commence with CB Ginger? What made you choose to go for this product, and what makes your ginger different from those in the market already? "I started making ginger in 2020 after I established a Fruit and Veg business because of retrenchment due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Oyama Nazo coined the name Cold Brew while assisting me with branding for my ginger product. I chose to fully invest my energy in this product because of how people responded. My customers were blown away by the taste of the ginger, which lasts longer and quenches the ultimate thirst".
As you started, what were your challenges, and how did you overcome them? "Branding was a big challenge when I started, but Oyama Nazo helped simplify things. I am grateful that he always believed in my vision and work ethic. I need larger premises to make Cold Brew Ginger. SABS registration is a another challenge that I am determined to overcome because I want to see my product on the shelves of top retailers".
Since you commenced, please share the highlights of your business? "The fact that two stores are selling my ginger in King Williams Town is a highlight for me as that resulted in sales being multiplied by almost six times over."
Where can people get CB Ginger? "CB Ginger is available at The Nest Cafe in King Williams Town. We will soon announce another popular store in King Williams Town that will be stocking CB Ginger very soon. Please follow me on social media for more information".
Lastly, when you are not pushing CB Ginger, what do you do to keep sane? "I am a Media & P.R. person, so I am always on the Internet trying to find new ideas for the next milestone to accomplish. I also use my PlayStation 4 to relax and take my mind off things by playing the FIFA22 game".