Bulls n Bears Entrepreneurship Zone :: A good idea comes to fruition

[Bulls n Bears]

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A few years ago, Afie Braimoh-Giwa was hired from Florida in the US to
manage the setup of a juice manufacturing plant in Benue State – Nigeria’s
acclaimed “food basket” – where she learnt that many famers in Benue suffer
huge post-harvest losses due to a lack of storage facilities and poor roads.

“I saw lots of rot in food produce,” Braimoh-Giwa recalls, and she started
to think of a solution to create a sustainable value chain while empowering
farmers.


How did it all start?


At first, she considered setting up a fruit juice company. She realised,
however, that while fresh fruits are seasonal, dried fruits are available
all year round and have a longer shelf life if they are properly stored.

Braimoh-Giwa began to experiment by drying fruit in a standard kitchen
dehydrator, revising the process to get the right texture, taste, and
colour. After a few weeks of testing, she started handing out samples at her
church, offices and among friends and family. She was encouraged by the
feedback she got and sought approval for her product from the National
Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Nigeria.

In September 2016 she got the NAFDAC approval and that marked the launch of
SACFruits Dried Fruits, a healthy snack in Nigeria. Less than a year later,
SACFruits had found its place in over 70 stores and was nominated by the
African Creative Exhibition and Awards 2017 as the Best Food Produce
Innovation in Nigeria.

Now, only in its second year, the product is available in about 200 stores
across several states. and can also be found in hotels, gyms, spas, fast
food stores and schools.


How did the company grow into the business it is today?


Today, SACFruits’ dried fruits are available in three varieties – mangoes,
pineapple and a medley pack which consists of dried mangoes, pineapple and
coconut. It’s made with 100% home-grown fruits and prepared without
additives, sugar or preservatives. So far, Braimoh-Giwa’s company has sold
about 40,000 products.

To grow the business, the company relies on direct sales, trade shows and a
distribution model to spread its tentacles. Apart from selling it in 120g
packs, SACFruits has a contract manufacturing arm through which it supplies
dried fruits to companies that rebrand it.

SACFruits isn’t Braimoh-Giwa’s first business venture. The self-proclaimed
serial entrepreneur is also the founder of Makinhomes Limited, a Lagos-based
real estate marketing company that has been operating in Nigeria and the US
for more than 10 years. She also serves as a project manager, managing
technology projects from time to time.

“From the start, I decided to grow SACFruits organically. Everything I put
into SACFruits has been from my savings and whatever money I make from any
business or contract. Now, we are in a growth mode.”


Surely there must have been challenges?


Like many entrepreneurs in Nigeria, Braimoh-Giwa struggled with erratic
power supply and a poor road network. In the beginning, she transported the
fruits from Benue to Lagos. The journey took about 14 hours by road. By the
time the fruits got to SACFruits’ factory in Lagos, about half of them were
spoilt. To solve this problem, Braimoh-Giwa decided to set up a factory in
Benue state at the source of her raw materials. This has reduced operating
costs. The less obvious, but still major challenge, is constantly having to
educate people on what dried fruits are and getting the product stocked in
the market.

She says store owners should be willing to carry multiple brands of the
same products and leave the customers to choose.

Braimoh-Giwa is currently looking for investors to take SACFruits to the
next level. Her goal is to get SACFruits into other African countries and
the US market where she will be participating at the 22nd Annual Food &
Beverage show in Miami in October.

By 2019 she wants to be in stores in the US. The medium- to long-term plan
is for SACFruits to have its own farm.


What can we learn from her experience?


“Sometimes I take a step back to re-strategise and think of ways to move
this business forward. I attend courses online, events and trade shows. I
spend time talking to and learning from people, including my staff.”

To anyone thinking of starting a business in Nigeria, Braimoh-Giwa says:
“First of all, do your research and understand the territory. Just because
it has worked for you globally, doesn’t mean it will work for you in
Nigeria.” She says the risks of doing business in Nigeria are very high, but
the rewards are higher.

“You have to be prepared to be in it for the long haul. Be financially
savvy. Be passionate and focused. Understand the value chain of your
business and account for every cost along the way because one little thing
that falls off will affect you in the long term. Monitor your business
closely; don’t just leave it to your accountant. If you can tackle some of
these things, you are very well on your way.” – Howwemadeitinafrica 



Afie Braimoh-Giwa

 

 

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