Breakthrough for a �lerotse� jam maker
Pini Bothoko | Monday February 24, 2014 15:10
A jam manufactured out of melons, on a small scale, has caught the attention of Botswana’s largest retail company Choppies who have already started stocking it on their shelves.
The jam can be used as a spread on bread, as filling for cupcakes or other cakes or can be heated up and spooned over ice cream.
Thabo Anthony, the manager at the new Choppies outlet on the ground floor of Ngilichi House, revealed in an interview with Mmegi that they have started stocking the product, and possibilities abound that it will spread to the store’s other outlets.
Choppies has close to 60 outlets in Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Florence Ramabusetsa, a 67-year-old retired butchery manager at Senn Foods has been manufacturing the melon (lerotse) jam from her humble abode at White City location here since 2012.
This was after she had undergone training, specialising in jam making and packaging at National Food Technology Research Centre in Kanye following a sponsorship by the government’s Poverty Eradication Programme.
After completing the course in that year (2012), she sprang into action, registering a company, Changu Jam, under which she now manufactures and merchandises the jam.
Apparently, Ramabusetsa had been hawking her jam in front of food retail stores like Choppies, Spar and Shoprite. Customers who snapped up the jam drew the attention of Choppies managers at Ngilichi House.
Excited about the packaging, Anthony said it (the packaging) was unique and could compete favourably with products from South Africa. He however, could not readily state how much they have so far stocked.
Ramabusetsa said she went to Choppies headquarters in Gaborone and negotiated with them to stock her jam and the headquarters were especially impressed that she was making the jam out of a melon called lerotse in Setswana.
“I am happy that they have agreed to stock my jam and they are now selling it in all their outlets in Francistown. I have also been doing food tasting and I have attracted many customers who just love its tingling taste,” she said.
Ramabusetsa said since she started manufacturing the jam, she wanted to penetrate the market and compete with other imported jams. She said she was now happy with the result.
“Before the end of this week I am going to Gaborone again and this time I want to meet management of all local shops like Shoprite, Spar, Pick and Pay and others and advertise my product for them to place orders. I will do the delivery, “ she said.
She said that it takes only an hour to prepare a cooked mixture of the melon to make a complete jam product. She is currently selling two flavours of ginger and mild ginger in 425 gram bottles.
Ramabusetsa said that customers appreciate her products such that some even opt to buy directly from her house.
She said that she intends to visit schools countrywide and market and supply them with her products.
She said that for now she is not making much profit because the deal is still on a trial basis and fetching a lesser price.
“I want to see my product penetrating the market and being able to be called for tenders, she said, crediting the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) and the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) for assisting in branding her products.
Ramabusetsa said that at the moment she was on her own, but would want to see the business grow so that she is able to hire other Batswana.
“I am proud of this Motswana woman’s product, even though I do not have its selling records at the moment, I can assure you that this product will do well.
“This jam is neat, with a good packaging that got our attention. I encourage all Batswana to work on their packaging in order for their products to sell and be attractive to customers,” said Anthony.