Serial business owner is spreading her wings

Timely advice set Wendy on path to success

27 October 2020 - 09:13
By
Wendy Mpendulo with some of her nut products.
Image: VUKUZENZELE Wendy Mpendulo with some of her nut products.

Miante Manufacturing is a nut-processing business operating from the Bakery & Food Technology Incubator (BICSA) in Pretoria.

Owner of Miante Manufacturing, Wendy Mpendulo, 42, says they produce different types of nut products by blending, caramelising and coating nuts with different ingredients.

“Our products and packages are made of cashew, moringa, almond, macadamia and brazil nuts. We combine the nuts with raisins, flour and different types of seeds to make mixes that can be eaten for breakfast, during hiking or while running and as a healthy snack,” says Mpendulo.

The nuts are sold to locals and shops in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape. Mpendulo says their products have been approved by the South African Bureau of Standards.

She started the business in 2016 after receiving advice from BICSA. At the time, she owned several food caravans that were not growing as a business. On approaching the incubator for business advice, she was told to rather look at starting a legacy business that will be sustainable in the long term.

She decided to venture into the nuts manufacturing business. Mpendulo says the incubator helped with advice on obtaining the certificates she needed to operate her business. BICSA also helped her register with the Consumer Goods Council of SA, which means her products have been allocated a barcode.

“BICSA also helped us formulate a proper bookkeeping system. They are also currently helping us source a new machine that will be used to roast nuts. The new machine will enable us to start making peanut butter,” says Mpendulo.

BICSA has availed its services to entrepreneurs who are willing to join its programme. The incubator’s services include:

  • Business development;
  • Food technology services;
  • Skills development and training; and
  • A rural development programme.