Kupisa Sauce is the brainchild of Nthanyiseni Muvhenzhe, who was born in the Northern Part of Limpopo and now residing in Gauteng. “A business like this would be impossible to grow on my own so I have a business partner who comes in with a great wealth of experience in Strategy & Finance”, she added.
Talking about local, which is that one brand you like on the streets of Mzansi currently and why? “While there are many brilliant entrepreneurs who have built amazing businesses, Theo Baloyi has been a great inspiration. Bathu is a beacon of hope for ordinary young South Africans, Theo has proved that our dreams are valid, and they have an opportunity to come alive”.
Please share when did you commence with KUPISA SAUCE and what inspired you to go for it? “Kupisa commenced as an exploratory concept infused by the intention to participate in the mainstream Agri Processing economy and the love for cooking food with natural herbs. As a concept, Kupisa was born in 2017 but we only began with active production in 2019 after spending 2 years in research and development”.
What kind of challenges have you faced when you were trying to get KUPISA off the ground and how did you tackle those challenges? “Without any doubt, the biggest challenge has been market access and funding. Fortunately, we had spent a lot of time on R&D. Consequently, when we decided to begin commercial production, we had full confidence in the product and its unique differentiators. Therefore, the decision to use our limited private funds was not a difficult one”.
“With regards to access to market, we had to be a little clever and think differently compared to market norms. Instead of banging into the doors of big retailers for shelve space, we have decided to bypass them and go directly into the end user. Through this approach, we trust that those retailers will be forced to come have a conversation with us – and indeed a few have started”.
What makes your SAUCE brand stand out? And what are your business highlights thus far? “Kupisa is definitely different from any other product currently available in the market. Kupisa has unique taste and flavor influenced by a combination of a few natural wild edible herbs only found in specific regions in Limpopo. Apart from offering an amazing and unique taste to food, these herbs are also known scientifically to offer medicinal benefits”.
“In terms of highlights, since we started commercial production less than 12 months ago, we are producing about 4 000 bottles every month. Our market reach has expanded beyond the boundaries of South Africa into Moz, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. We are currently having distribution discussions with partners in these countries in order to expand our footprint”.
“Another highlight is that currently we have a staff compliment of 17 and over 36 Kupisa associates”.
Before we wrap it up, who/which brand would you like to collaborate with in future and why that brand/person? “Our biggest wish is that every South African gets an opportunity to taste this product and experience unique Kupisa flavors. So far, we have over 96% approval rate and our clients are sticking with us for value and not through sympathy buying”.
“Our approach entails creating a growth sharing partnership with Kupisa associates who act as distributors of Kupisa in various regions. Through these arrangements, our associates are able to make a minimum of 25% profit and we are creating needed employment in the country”.
Lastly, when not busy pushing KUPISA SAUCE work, what do you do to unwind? “Between me and my business partner, Kupisa is just one of a few projects that we manage but when it’s time to rest, we often breakaway for some visits to eateries around Joburg, biking and definitely a game of golf”.