Local entrepreneur wins award after facing many challenges

Frustrated by his job at a call centre, Loyiso Manga decided to leave and use what his grandmother taught him about agriculture to start his own brand of olive oil.

The founder of Ubuntu extra virgin olive oil started the business in 2019, after trying to buy a farm for two years without success.

“I was extremely frustrated by my job, and felt I needed to go back to what I have always loved. My grandmother used to have cattle and was a farmer, so I planned to venture into that field, as I am big on legacy-building,” he said.

After an arduous journey that saw him almost go out of the business, Ubuntu has been judged one of the world’s best olive oils, receiving a silver award at the New York International Olive Oil competition earlier this month.

Manga said he named his brand Ubuntu because humanity is something everyone has experienced and can relate to. In his case, he experienced ubuntu in different aspects of his journey as an entrepreneur.

Soon after reaching out to SA Olive to register as a producer, Manga found he was the first black person in the country to do so. This motivated him even more, as he liked the idea of setting an example for those wanting to get into the industry. It would also be an opportunity to educate people — especially those from disadvantaged communities — about the health benefits of olive oil.

According to Manga, Ubuntu extra virgin olive oil is special because it is full of character. He says i thas a fruity, dried tomato taste to it, with a hint of almond nuts. A 500ml bottle sells for R249 on Takealot and at Woolworths stores.

Starting the business was not easy, but Manga didn’t give up. First, he had difficulty accessing funding, which frustrated his dream of buying a farm.

However, a Western Cape farmer who produced grapes and olives advised him to start selling his product to create a strong customer base, as this would help him justify why he needed a farm to financial institutions. “He took a liking to me, and told me a dedicated man such as myself should be able to pursue his dream. He was kind enough to assist me with the first batch of olive oil we used to launch the product in 2019.”

Once Manga had produced a first batch, he kept his commercial undertaking going through financial assistance from friends, family and other people who believed in the brand and invested in the business.

He said the inability to own his value chain was another challenge, as he had to outsource everything that needed to be done for the business.

I was extremely frustrated by my job [at a call centre], and felt I needed to go back to what I have always loved

—  Loyiso Manga, entrepreneur

In 2022, Manga managed to get his brand stocked by one of SA’s top retailers — Woolworths. He said getting to that point was not easy, as there had been a lot to learn along the way, but once his olive oil reached the shelves, it started gaining in popularity.

His product was eventually also stocked by Spar. “We actually started selling at Spar, and that was very helpful for me because there were so many technicalities I didn’t understand. It was getting the product to sell at Spar that taught me that a bar code needs to actually work — it’s not just random numbers you slap on the side of the bottle.”

After this success, Manga faced another hurdle that kept him out of business for nearly a year.

In 2023, the world was hit by an olive-oil shortage that led to a spike in its price. This also affected local producers, including Ubuntu. “In August 2023, Ubuntu went out of business. We couldn’t produce olive oil and lost out on orders. We lost orders worth more than R800,000 because we didn’t have the capital to buy oil during such a competitive time.”

Once again, Manga said he experienced humanity from a stranger who couldn’t find his product on the shelves any more and invested in the company. “I literally got a call from a guy who said he and his wife had been following my story and wanted to help me. In September this year, he spent R250,000 on helping the company get back on its feet,” he said.

Manga said winning the award after the financial setback proved his sacrifices had not been in vain. “Winning the silver award confirmed that all my sacrifices had been worth it. That is the beauty of this story. Things worked out after all, but it was all because of the help of others,” he said.

On the future of the business, Manga said he’d like to grow it to a point where he can afford to own a factory and produce everything from scratch. He would also like to build a warehouse in the Eastern Cape and create employment in that province. 

Moreover, Manga wants to explore the possibility of a nationwide culinary tour, where he would travel nationally and introduce the brand to more people.