Magdalene Muthee — transcript

Mosoro Afya

This transcript is generated automatically by YouTube and has not been checked by a person. It misspells names and mishears words, particularly around Kenyan English and company names, so read it as a guide to the conversation rather than a quotable record. Each timestamp opens the video at that moment.

0:05 Greetings ladies and gentlemen and welcome to episode 44 of the African do podcast. Today we are very privileged to have with us Magdalene Mu Magdalene Mud of Mousoro Afia who do a wide variety of flowers from indigenous ingredients and others and we'll hear a lot more about that business and what they're doing. Magdalene welcome to the African do podcast.
Thank you. Thank you for having me. Excellent. So, Magdalene doesn't strike me as something that would hit you as a career option in school. So, if we're to go back to your schooling days, how do you find yourself in this career line? Where did you come from to find yourself here? What did you study?
Uh, I studied Bachelor of Commerce.

0:53
Yeah,
I specialized in marketing. But then this was the only option that I could pick as an entpreneur.
Yes.
Uh because I knew I always knew that I'd be an entrepreneur probably coming from a family background where my parents are entrepreneurs.
Okay.
And uncles, aunties, grandparents were all entrepreneurs. So I
I never quite imagined myself in a corporate setting.
Mhm.
So I went to Stratmore University.
Yes. uh I did BCOM because BCOM was the closest thing to marketing then sorry to entrepreneurship then and there was no specialization for entrepreneurship which is available now
in the university but now looking at all options finance procurement HR marketing was more relatable for an entrepreneur compared to

1:47
all other options. Yeah.
Yes. So uh when you say you come from a family of entrepreneurs what maybe you can just highlight to us what are they entrepreneuring in you know the various things that they are doing that inspired you to choose this path.
U my my parents are in the construction industry
and also that we we had a hotel
uh also they rent a timbiad.
Wow.
A workshop where they do furniture.
Yes. So also from my mom's side, everybody is in timber business. Yes. Whether it is uh the very initial processing or making doors, frames. Okay.
And things like that. Yeah.
So you've been exposed. That's where you grew up or that's what you grew up seeing.
Yes.
And you figured it's best to just follow in the footsteps of

2:36
Not even best. I I never had a a view of any other life. So that is what I've known how to do
and sort of u led to do because then as as you grow you look uh in your environment and you'd be given advice about what your life would be like the things you're supposed to do
to be able to become this person. So that is
what I have been taught over the years.
Did you spend any time in these businesses in your younger days?
Oh yes I did. I have been to almost all of my father's projects.
Yes.
And uh even actually worked. My father would have us work in his business.
And and now leaving university, I immediately went to to work for him.
Mhm.
Yes. So that is something we were exposed to. I was really exposed to as a child and also post uh studies. Yeah.

3:34
Excellent. So now you you finish uh Strathmore.
Yes.
You've got your BCOM marketing degree. What next?
Uh I began working for my parents
uh in management level. I wanted to to help their their businesses be more corporate. So to yes [clears throat] to introduce structures and uh help them run in a more organized way. I actually made the request to work for them.
Mhm.
I do not know why because them being in construction, he would my father would uh have my my brothers study in that particular line.
Yes.
But with me, it was different. He he never actually expressly said that he wanted me to be in the business. I I made that particular request and I knew exactly what I wanted to go do there. And yeah, so I

4:31
did you succeed in in in in structuring?
Yes, I did.
Okay.
Yes, I did. And we we got to do that very well.
So you're very fortunate then because I I have enough h examples of uh battles that exist between parents and offspring around those changes that are required to structure familyowned businesses into a corporate setting. You don't seem to have had that problem. the it was there
but I have been very convincing to my to my father. Okay.
And he would allow me that space.
Has he seen the benefits of this structuring?
Yes, he has.
Okay.
Yes, he has.
Excellent.
Yeah.
So then how do we find ourselves now at Mosoro?
Yeah. So I my my father then opened bought a hotel. Mhm.

5:26
It was a very sudden decision.
Mhm.
I was actually on maternity leave.
And he bought the hotel. My newborn was 2 months old and he gave me a call and said uh MV have opened a hotel and I'd like for you to run it. Are you available uh to come on board? Because then in the very initial stages uh he didn't quite have an idea of what needed to be done. So I asked I asked him, "You have you already paid for the hotel?" He said, "Yes, I already have the hotel. Do you even know which menu? Do you do you have any idea of how you're going to go about it?" And he says, "No, that's where I'm giving you a call. I'd like for you to do this." So I went uh to run the hotel. Well, at the hotel uh we picked up really well and soon after COVID hit. When COVID hit, then we were home and because the hotel had hotel rooms, we were dependent on on uh foreigners to to book.

6:34
How big was the hotel?
Not so big. We had 25 rooms. Okay.
We had 25 rooms, a restaurant, a club. Yes. Which was also open to to the community there.
Yeah. And so when COVID hit, I also having a very new family, I went back home because I was I was scared. I we had no idea what this thing was. So while at home it's when I began to research and read more about food and nutrition as then it felt like the safest thing to to count on cuz our hospitals were failing and
we knew that if you have a strong immune system then you're very likely to survive COVID.
So this is when I began uh reading experimenting on different foods that uh would support our health.
Yes. What does that experimenting look like?

7:31
A lot of reading
and then now looking then which are the nutrients that we are looking for to achieve a particular dietary need.
Uh so once you identify maybe we need protein, how much protein do we need in a day? Uh which are the
ingredients? Yes. That we would uh that would give us this protein.
Yeah. And yeah, so that and eventually I I got into I got stuck with nuts and seeds. So you'll find all our products are made from nuts and seeds. So that is ground nuts,
almonds, cashew nuts, flax seeds, sesame seeds.
Yes.
Okay.
So yeah. Now looking actually our products then would have very high protein levels uh because we found that protein is very key uh for almost everything including our bone health. We would mainly inclined to to say that we need a lot of calcium but if you check protein is more important for strong and healthy bones. Uh protein is important for our brain. It's important for immunity for recovery. So our products are very high in protein

8:43 and yeah so we would we would uh we would look for a particular dietary need and then uh put together a formulation to support that.
And this you're doing you're you're now doing just at home because it's the pandemic time right?
Yes.
Okay. Now some of the product you some of the ingredients you've me mentioned are not locally available ingredients. things like um almonds, you know, uh flax seeds, those are imported uh products. Yes.
Uh so how did you go about in your in this experimentation phase? Where do you source these ingredients from?
Uh cuz remember initially I was doing this for myself and for my family.
Yes. And actually then that was one of the biggest challenges or maybe a blessing uh because I was more focused on solutions than uh looking for an ingredient and trying to

9:41
force it into the market.
And yeah, so we we have a lot of uh companies importing almonds into the country coming from mainly California.
Uh flax seeds, we have them locally actually. Uh flax seed grown locally.
Yes. In East Africa. Flax seed, chia seeds, we have them. Sesame seeds, sour,
sim.
Okay.
Yes. We have them locally and we also have some coming from India.
So, how was the uptake with your family? Because this was it was originally I don't think it's transitioned yet into a business idea. You're now feeding your family and you want to feed them better. So, how was the the uptake? What what what products did you did you create and what uh dishes did you then come and make for your family to consumed based on those products?

10:35
Initi our very first product was a pancake mix which we actually do not have in the market. So that's the very first formulation I did and we needed I needed it to be gluten-free.
I needed it to be very high in protein. I needed it to be a healthy alternative to pancakes.
And yeah, we made it and it was
What did it have?
It had oats, it had almonds as well. And then now the the raising agents.
Mhm.
So I'd create the product, have people eat, I take to my parents to sample, take to my friends to taste just to get their feedback.
And taste is a big deal. Well, well, uh, people are looking for foods to to eat that are healthy. You would find for you to have this consistently in your day-to-day life, it has to be delicious. Otherwise, you would struggle through it on one day and then the next

11:35
uh you would
sort of avoid it. Okay.
So then taste was very key
uh when making these formulations. And uh they loved it. So I kept doing that and uh actually during this particular period my my mom got sick and I would I would not because she got sick I would make for her porridge and send it to her in Nakuru. It was during CO there was lockdown uh she's unwell and you cannot
travel to go see her and even if you manage to get to the other side you risk taking COVID to her and making things worse. So I would make porridge flour for her just with my blender and send it to her.
It it had oats, almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cassava, and turmeric.
Mhm.
Yeah. So we roast the seeds and the nuts. Uh we roast the oats as well. I blend it in a with a blender, package it, sent it to her in au.

12:37
Then she was barely eating. uh but now when she got this flight became the only food that she could eat for months and she began to feel better. So I I just thought why not uh packaged this particular product. I branded it and I put it out on social media and the response was overwhelming and actually that is how we began.
Oh really? Yes. But before you even get to the response, what informed the mix
when you picked when you when you picked those specific ingredients and say this is going to the mix that
I'll make for this porridge for my mom. What informed that
for her? Because she was barely eating. We needed uh we needed fast. It had to be very easy to to take. When you're sick, you you're not likely to chew as much.

13:28
That is why porridge is very popular. You want something that is very easy to cook. Uh that is why we went for nuts that are already pre-roasted. H so it's very easy to cook and also having them roasted prior ensures that it is very gentle on her gut. And also we needed something that in case she cannot eat any other food then we are sure that she's had something uh that she's able to get her recommended daily intakes for nutrients for that particular day. So we needed it to be very nutrientdense, very easy to cook and also uh gentle on her gut because then she suffered um she had gut issues and anything she would eat she would throw her up. has a very low appetite, stays by herself and uh so nobody to cook for her and she was uh very quickly losing weight, growing weaker by the day and we needed something to to be able to support her

14:29 during that period even to be able to regain energy to so that she can take care of herself. Yeah.
Okay. So you then package this based on the the positive feedback and success you've had with your mom.
You package this and launch it through so social media. Yes. Tell us a bit about that journey. How does that go?
I called it the immune booster porridge flour.
I posted it on social media. I gave people a background. So on the caption you see what this product is, what it has and now there are people who needed it for that particular need. And for that particular need they're looking for something to boost their immunity for body recovery to boost their energy levels. And then now uh for this particular product then we start to get requests when once you talk like that on

15:22 social media it was very early on we didn't have a lot of such topics there and so we get so many people asking for different solutions. They're looking for solutions for their bone health uh solutions for men for diabetics. So the requests became so many
and now this we had to go back again and read again and research and [clears throat] find out more solutions to be able to create
more products.
And how how how one how is this product packaged?
Do you you're you're just using what brown paper bags with a label or how exactly are you doing it?
I did it well. like cuz you see this product is um very high in fats,
very high in protein. So you need to package it well for a longer shelf life and also for stability.

16:11
So I had to get
um a packaging that has a flame and properly seal it
otherwise it would go bad very quickly.
So I I I we actually did it very well with uh it it was kind of simple. We've improved it a bit. We've had our second uh type of packaging. We have now a second type of packaging,
but then we needed something that would not get in moisture to ensure that the product would get to the customer safely.
Mhm.
Yeah.
And um tell us a bit about the uptake, the sales, how were those initial initial
Yeah. Uh the response was overwhelming
and then I got now to learn about um ads. Having a background in marketing also at the hotel my main sales uh acquisition channel was social media. So I had some knowledge about uh running ads. I put out ads and actually for this particular product we would we we will get so many requests for from men uh saying that this product would be very good for male reproductive health and it took me quite some time to understand what they actually mean. So

17:30 now going back to understand uh what the market says cuz this product was branded immune booster porridge flam and then there who who needs immunity for me it was the sickly the elderly uh lactating moms uh for babies. So that was the communication that I was selling. But on the comment section as I had properly listed the ingredients there. We had so many men coming uh to the comment section and uh they would place an order and once we send them the product they would not relate. Said no we see that this product is written for breastfeeding moms. We want but we see on the comments that they say that this is a product for men. So we just made a a few changes uh also after some research to increase the zinc content in this particular product and we added uh an ingredient called mukbero to this product and now we called it men's health porridge flour. We gave it a

18:35 different packaging. So this was uh black in color. We gave it a different packaging with its name and now we had that was our second porridge fl introduced
and it performed it's actually now our bestselling product in the market.
Okay. So then so actually then we uh customers would come in ask is this part particular product say for diabetics and we'd go back and check because now then this becomes very serious questions that the market is asking and you cannot just respond
casually
without uh knowledge. So we go and check then what would be the best product for them. What do they need? We go back to formulation talk to uh dieticians, food scientists and then come up with another product. We also check with uh people who have who have had maybe this condition for some time. Uh how do different foods respond to them? And then actually then that is how we we brought in one product after another.

19:35
Okay.
Yes.
Okay. and and um what did the men see in your product? Yeah.
That you were blind to
that in that communication. What did they what what are these ingredients that made them say because you say they read the ingredients and that's what triggered them to say but this thing should be good for us also.
It's it's hard. The Mista porridge flour has uh pumpkin seeds. Mhm.
Which is very high in zinc.
It has cava.
Mhm.
Also very popular for men.
It has almonds.
Also very good for men. It has ground nuts.
Okay.
Very good for men.
Okay. Okay. Okay. So that's what triggered.
Yes.
But up until this time, you're still in your house.
Yes.
Uhhuh. So now, how is the transition to now a a fullyfledged business? So now you remember I was in a hotel setting so I had experience running a commercial kitchen

20:41
and also formulating these products. It was baking, roasting, grinding with a blender.
I did not have prior exposure to running a factory.
I thought I was running a kitchen.
But when numbers began to grow, then we see a problem because then this is my home. uh the same kitchen that I'm using to to prepare food for my family. Uh we have kids there who are very curious and it's of course this the aroma of nuts smells so nice and they want to to be all over to try to touch.
So I had I had to move I had to I had to to get space. I step out and I I get a small space outside my home. still planning to run the commercial kitchen and so orders be begin to increase. Yeah, remember I told you that uh this idea came about during COVID but later uh I I left I I left home to open to open uh this my space in November of 2022.

21:49
Okay.
So I just take normal space. I still think that I'm running a kitchen and now I import uh a spice grinder cuz you see our normal portion meal
Yes.
cannot mill this particular ingredients also because they have a lot of oil
oil because of the nuts.
Yes.
Okay. So now when you start to do with in mass production now you start to see gaps and it becomes so frustrating and you realize now we are not even talking about product development which was maybe the most exciting thing to offer people solutions to read about diabet people with diabetes
to read about men and come up with a solution for them
but now when so many of them are ordering now you need to to think about production.

22:39
Yes. So then this became my biggest pain. How do I skill to be able to meet this demand?
Yes.
And I I make a friend from a purchase I was making and she asks me what I do and I tell her what I do. She invited me to a USA uh conference. it was a women's day conference and tells me oh come actually uh your products would do so well here and they have an opportunity to exhibit
it was here at
Campinsky
so I go and I exhibit my products and a lady from approaches me and asks me Magdalene uh would you like some money and I look at her would you like some money are you looking to fund raise And I look at her and say, "I don't know what I need money for." She stared at me and walked away.

23:39
Mhm.
A few weeks later, she gave me a call and said, "There's a program that we have introduced. It will be happening at Strathmore University. Uh, I'd like for you to attend."
Mhm.
And at first I'm what is this about? I need to pay 10,000 shillings. What value will I get? and she called me like three times. I never signed up and then she on the day the program began she says I insist that you come. So I went for this program. It was for women in agri business.
Yes.
So now I'm in a space where we have women doing agrop processing for the very first time. M
and this completely changed my view of the business because then now I was able to see what I need to do.
Mhm.
And this helped me to change my perspective. Uh here I was given a coach who who I tell her this is my business model. I was I was very I I had very good flyers, very good cataloges, very beautiful cataloges. So then I'm trying to show her what I do. I'm telling her my numbers which I just began and I think I'm doing great and she tells me you have no business. You you your you your business model cannot work. uh there so she says there are

25:06 things I need to do and
I do not understand her because I think that
what things I'm doing so well that you need keb certification you need these particular licenses are you working on them and I'm like no no no this is
what I wanting this is what I want to do I knew that I would be
sort of a serial shop but with very nice formulations you see the way you would have them u with the with their uji mix
that they are just blending there. So I thought that that is what would happen and she tells me no you cannot grow like that.
Unfortunately that conversation was cut short. I didn't understand what she means. I didn't understand. I I felt like I was left hanging and it was quite frustrating.

25:54
Mhm.
Uh but there was a lady it was a group coaching so everybody would present their case and they're given advice. So one lady noticed and she pulled me aside and told me uh what she what the coach is saying. I think the coach was very blunt and maybe
uh very straightforward and was not ready for that conversation then. So she pulls me aside and tells me this is how you can this is how you can continue to sell now without getting into regulatory issues but this is an opportunity there's an opportunity for growth and here she told me I could visit I could visit um Kiri uh to get support and or that I could visit Kiri and also I could talk to KCIC
Kenya Climate Innovation Center. Mhm.

26:43
They have programs where they could where they can incubate me to get support uh to be able to grow.
So after the program immediately I pick up on that.
I join KCIC
and I begin my training. KCIC would offer would offer they have an agri program.
Yes.
So you would get support and even technical support around a grow processing. I visit KBY. They didn't have an opening but soon after I find out about a factory similar to to Kir and it is sort of an incubation center where you can go do your production and then just sell to the market. So here they'd have the machinery and also offer you training uh to know how to handle things like cava. Now you see we already we are growing and I need to if if I

27:37 pick ready made cava in the market I'm not sure of the shelf life of the hygiene so my product has not become stable I cannot guarantee my product with mass production then you start to notice these gaps and remember we are using so many ingredients in our formulations how do we how do we control each and every ingredient uh to ensure that our product stable.
Yeah.
So I go to I found out about a different facility called Somo and I begin my production there. I still keep my space my production space because I have
SO similar to to Kiri.
Mhm.
They're similar to Kiri but now a private organization. So you can go and do your production there.
Okay.
I do my production there. I have I still have my factory my small space in Roy where we do our bookkeeping. and where we would come in to manage our calls, store our products and we also pick up a pickup location in CBD to manage our logistics. Uh so yes, we do production in Somo and in a few months we we have a bottleneck. We need we still have demand but uh we still have demand but production is a problem because you see this is a

29:00 borrowed facility. You need to book to go in. Uh sometimes when your production when your when your stock runs out you need to go you you need to book to do production. So you have you would constantly have gaps in the market
to understand this space where you go to produce.
Yes.
What do they have that you don't have in your small facility? They had a milling machine that was working for us.
Yeah.
Um with food processing there equipments like a a good sink, a working surface.
They may seem small but they are very relevant. They have a very good uh roster for roasting our uh our nuts. So we are able to produce more even with with a single day because uh the milling machine I had would do about would do a kilo at a time and a kilo to to mill it very well would take about 5 minutes

29:56
and by the time I'm getting to the to 20 kilos the machine is yes you have to give it time to rest now but going to so going to so I would do a weekly production with a sing in a single day. Yes.
And get better output for my product.
Okay.
Yes.
Okay.
Yeah. So at we we need we realize that we need our own production space because then again with SOMO
we have to do just in time production. Yes. So that means as soon as the raw materials arrive we have to do production. Uh we have to have uh our team for production present. So we have no time to reject raw materials. We have no space to store raw materials. So what happens when maybe one raw material comes and it is not up to par. I already have my staff present and so there are those challenges or sometimes we want to

30:57 do production but another entrepreneur has already booked the space.
Okay. So we began our fundraising journey
to to be able to set up the factory. We were then at at uh still at being incubated by KCAC and that particular year they ran a they had their very first investment summit. There is where I met GBF grassroot business fund. uh we began the conversation and a few months later they I got the I got a loan and I began setting up the factory that we are now in now that is in 2020.
So does the the experience you have at the likes of Somo and Kiri guide your design of your facility?
Yes. And because then I had this I had I had no prior knowledge of what food processing looks like. Mhm.

31:51
So then the same machine that I found at Kirby then I I just mimicked what was important for me at Ki and I I made sure that I this is what I'll I'll buy and have it at our factory.
And where were you buying these machines from?
Uh we bought we bought all our machines locally.
Okay.
But they are coming from India.
Okay.
Yes.
Okay. Okay. So you and uh is it in this same your small space or you've now moved to a bigger space?
We have moved to a bigger space.
Mhm.
Yes.
And what does that space look like?
It's a go down or it's a factory like Yes. A factory like space. A big hole.
Okay.
Uh actually when we found it, it was a shed.
Okay. And so we talked to the landlord and the landlord is happy to complete the building for us

32:46
and we moved in. It took about two months to to finish up construction so that we can come in.
And other than machinery, what do you lay out in this space
to achieve now a food to become this food processor that you
Yes. Uh you need to you need to consider the your process your process line. So how do raw materials come in? What do you need to do until the final
the final uh product leaves your factory. So designing that particular layout. It is important to get an expert to come in and support you with that.
Where did you find this expert?
Now within the same network
of KCIC.
Yes. Within the same network. Now you you have peers in the industry.
Uh you have a couple of people you can consult. You are able, you have friends that you can visit their factories now and see what they're doing, how did they do it.

33:43
Yes. So, a lot of learning uh through networking.
Okay.
Yes.
Okay. And how far along are we
now?
What year are we by this time?
2024.
2024. You're getting That's last year. You're getting the the GBF loan. You're going to set up the space.
Yes.
Okay. And now 2024 to date, how has that journey been?
Now setting up the space uh increased our production capacity.
So we are able to even if we do not have the product in store. If you place an order, we are very we would be very quick to do production because now it is our space. We can store raw materials. Uh we can be able to source better from farmers. So setting up adjusting and building building our working capital has now has been the the journey throughout this year. We eventually get our certifications from uh from Ke and now

34:42 this year we have we have been very aggressive in the market partnering with supermarkets like Chandarana supermarket to have our products there.
Yes. Actually last year then is when we had the partnership with uh Harriet Botanicals to do their their production.
Yeah.
So it was it was very timely.
Okay.
Yes.
Okay. Excellent. So now you're you're you're up and running. You're a you're a you're you're an agree you're now a formal agree processor. Is that a fair comment?
Yes. And what does the let's speak a bit about your back journey your relationship with farmers where you're sourcing your products any challenges that you may be facing on that front.
Yes. Now with with growth cuz you remember initially we would buy in very small quantities. Mhm.

35:36
Now when you need uh bigger volumes can be a challenge and now we have to go for raw materials like the tubers we have to go back to the farmer because you want
you want something that is fresh something that is traceable h as with our formulation if you have just one bad raw material
messes up the whole thing.
Yes. And yet the value of our products is very high. So you you would incur a very big loss.
So let's take let's pick cassava as an example
and walk us through your cava journey from sourcing to the time it makes it into your to to to processing it to the time it makes it into your product. Now when cava we get our cava from two regions depending on availability
also one is nambal

36:30
that is in western Kenya or in
embu. Mhm.
So once we once the farmer harvests the cava we
sorry any specific reason why those two regions
initially we began sourcing from embu.
Mhm. Uh but later when we discovered Western, Western is cheaper.
Okay, fair enough.
Western is cheaper and they do a lot of tuba farming. So cava, sweet potato, arrow roots, you'd get them at a
uh compared to embu would be four times more expensive. Yeah.
Wow. That significant.
Yes.
Okay. So you you uh question answered. So you get the the product. Yeah.
Yes. uh you get cava from the farmer and then uh
how does a farmer get to understand your standards so that they can meet them

37:23
within within that particular region or actually uh in our rural areas we have a lot of organizations that are already supporting this ecosystem.
Okay. Okay.
So you would find in Nambal the the variety of cassava being planted is very specific. the sweet potato being planted because we already have institutions that are supporting the ecosystem within this region.
Yes.
Okay.
And especially if they find that tubers are doing so well in this region, they just support them to to do it to do more of that.
So once we harvest, we remove the we remove the peel and we remove the core. It is washed. It is chipped and then put in a solar dryer.
Is that done here or done on there on on site at the farmers?

38:17
Yes.
Okay.
Uh it is chipped put in a solar dryer takes uh 2 three days to dry depending on the weather and then it's when it comes to Nairobi.
Okay.
Yes. So to Nairobi uh it would be merged with with other raw materials. So say for example like the immune booster then you would merge it with oats uh almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds now to get the porridge flour that we sell to our customers.
Okay.
Yeah.
Okay. Is there any initiative uh that you know of that is trying to localize uh some of the imported ingredients that you use? Is that an opportunity
uh for we we use a lot of oats.
Mhm.
Which is which is imported coming from Europe.
Uh but we have oats available in Narok.

39:22
Mhm. uh though we do not have any factory that processes oats to to be fit for human consumption.
So the oats that we have locally are mostly fed given to to animal feeds even cows. M
so there is where there'd be a very good opportunity as we are as a country be importing a lot of oats but there's still a gap uh cuz if if it is used for human consumption then the farmer would be able to get better value of their produce compared to
of your core basket of ingredients. Yeah. Uh, oats is imported. Almonds. Which other ones are are imported products?
Oats and almonds.
Oh, those are the main ones.
Yes. Cuz our cashew nuts, we get them from kifi.
Grown nuts. Still we get them within East Africa.

40:20
Pumpkin seeds within East Africa. Yes.
Okay.
Our tubers we get them locally.
So just oats and almonds. Almonds is where Sorry, oats is where the opportunity is. With almonds, we still do not have we do not have almond farming in in Kenya. The only nuts that we are farming would be cashew nuts and macadamia.
Yes.
Okay. Is almond a tree that can grow in Kenya. Do you know?
I looked into it. It can uh but we have we have
we have never gone down that route. Yes.
Okay. probably something worthy out there if there's anyone looking to grow armons experiment you have a ready customer here in Magdalene so Magdalene is it fair to say that your capitalization of your business journey I I I share to say simple but has been relatively simple is it a case of you being at the right place at the right time because you've not or I haven't heard from you a struggle in in in that funding. Yeah. You had this idea and

41:33 things seem to kind of have fallen into place. You had some knowledge gaps at some times which you managed to fill and you are aware of but your funding journey is it fair to say that it has been a relatively simple and if yes why?
No it has not been simple. Okay. It is [laughter] I think over time when you get over challenges
yes
you realize that the stress and pressure that you felt then it's just that
it's just part of the journey
you forget it you forget it and you begin you feel the pressure for tomorrow
yes
uh but it took some time
okay
it took some time to change my mindset
I was I was recently uh doing my business plan and the numbers that that I was projecting or the the amount of uh funding that I want to raise now is um it's very high.

42:34
Mhm.
And I remember back in KCAC I'd do my business plan and I would not get to 1 million. It was so difficult for me to to consume that amount of money because my mind had not expanded.
Mhm.
To to see such a big vision.
Mhm.
So [clears throat]
So where are you? 10 times 100 times. Where are you now?
100 times.
Wow. Okay. So to change to change my mindset
was the biggest struggle
uh to be able to see this big vision and uh to really envision the journey. I know a lot of people would fund raise and and throw just a number but for me I had I would have to to see to really see it envision it and believe it so that I can go for it.
Okay.
And I I really really struggled. I was pushed to write a bigger business plan but it was not natural for me. I could not see it becoming or happening.

43:36
Mhm. Uh so my changing my mindset uh took some time and also so then even with the with the plan that I had going to commercial banks was uh very frustrating frustrating to get your very first loan cuz you remember I was working for my parents and I would even support them with fundraising money for their for their businesses and I expected similar treatment.
Mhm.
I expected similar treatment but now I'm coming in as Magdalene, not as my father's daughter.
And shock [laughter] shock on you.
And I would actually before getting my first loan, I would even see my dad go in and get three loans before me and I'm wondering what [laughter] what am I doing?
Yeah. Reality reality check.

44:33
Yeah. So it was really difficult, very frustrating and you're constantly reminded to be smaller.
Yeah.
By the system. So of course meeting uh like KCAC and GBF they would offer you better but not as much as as you want.
Okay.
Uh KC would support mainly with training. uh they had a funding aspect which did not mature but uh so they would try to get you to have this big vision and once you try to fund it you realize that the market is not willing to give you as much money.
So even the money I requested from I wanted from GBF I had to go a bit lower.
Uh they offered me a bit lower but you just take it and and you move forward. same during that period there's something I noticed with with uh institutions like uh KCIC uh because soon after the next year they had to take their next cohort and they noticed that they were fundraising for their next cohort and they had this number that they were looking for and they realized for us entrepreneurs we mostly uh get smaller

45:49 to accept what is being offered. So if you go to the bank and the bank offers you
uh
you scale down your vision
you scale down your vision
the funding that is
but for them they had they but for KCA noticed that they would have a plan and they would have to fund raise and and fund that particular plan. So it was it was an eye openener. It of course took me some time to even get the courage to say that I need this particular number that I can I can have a plan and then finance the plan other than I have this money how do we survive to get through the year.
Yeah. So switching that mindset uh it was it took me a lot of time to get banks to fund to to even approve my loans.
Did they eventually?

46:42
Yes. uh but very small tickets uh cuz then they would say no let us first try you with uh this small money and then we see how you repay and now you realize that you even the person who has been taking small uh mobile loans is better than you because they have history. So now you have to start building your history as a as a borrower so that the financial uh markets can can understand you and trust you as a borrower. So we begin there uh very a very frustrating uh period, very frustrating season. Uh but somehow we we just march forward and do what needs to get done.
Okay.
Two things I'd like us to cover before we wrap up. one, the diversification of your products away from just plants. Tell us a bit about that. What have you developed and what are you selling? And two, what does the future look like for you? Um, I would assume that the the funding journey continues and you now have a much more robust plan. So maybe you could respond to those two issues. Oh, now we have we not only have porage

47:56 fl, we have breakfast cereals, we have healthy snacks, we have edible oil,
we make ground nut oil,
we have nut butters as well. So our product range is between nuts and seeds as we're trying to tap into the nutrients in in these ingredients and trying to get as much value from them as possible to ensure that our customers are getting uh the nutrients that they need in the form that is uh
excellent.
Yes. Okay.
And also that their bodies are are able to to receive and utilize them.
Yes. this new plan. Now tell us about the future. What does it look like? How is the fundraising going? Um do you have prospects of unlocking these funds? And what do you look what does the next 5 years look like for Mosoro Afia? We have a very ambitious plan

48:55
and I know in our in my industry in uh our food products a lot of us would go to supermarkets like we did this year uh because supermarkets have a very wide reach. A lot of people are shopping there. But something I have learned uh during this period is that it is better to have direct access to your customer. So how do you creating channels to be able to sell to your customer? It is more stable uh better for you cash flows compared to the credit terms that the supermarkets would be offering us or the cost uh to manage. You know, you'd assume that a supermarket would place a very big order and you'd get very good profits, but managing that particular order would cost you a lot of money and sometimes uh you end up making no money again once even the payment is delayed. So, we we want to increase our our B2C sales. That's where we are focusing. It is 70%

50:04 plus of of our sales right now. So we want to put more effort there to be able to communicate to our customers using our content uh to be able to sell using ads and grow our numbers.
Okay.
Yeah.
What about the investment in the in the capex side on the factory floor? Uh yes, by the end of the year we are by the end of 2026 we are looking to increase our production capacity. Uh so this means getting bigger machinery. This means strengthening our value chain. Uh working even more closely with farmers to ensure that we do not have gaps in in production. Uh yeah. Do you see yourself in increasing your range of products and tapping more into locally um other locally available seeds, nuts? You know, there there are some there's a lot like you said, you you you interact with Harriet's Botanicals as a as as a business colleague. Um but there are so many African nuts, you know, that have oil producing potential. Is that a line that you would consider in the future? Yes, it is it is more sustainable when you're sourcing locally and that is something we have we we are

51:25 learning it is more uh stable when you're sourcing locally as you have better control of your value chain and actually an a grain that I'm very interested in is amaranth
uh which would have up to 18% of protein
you would compare it to oats oats should have about 6% of protein. So our amaranth is better.
You can do much more with amaranth compared to to oats. So looking into into such ingredients to be able to tap into their potential.
Yes, we look to increase our product range as our model now would be heavy on uh B2C. So we want to increase our customers bucket size. We want to offer them as many solutions as possible to support their families.
Excellent. What a fabulous story, Magdalene. What a fabulous story.

52:17
Congratulations on your journey there thus far
and uh we wish you all the very best as you continue uh tackling this African entrepreneurial experience with all its challenges and opportunities. Um we now give you a chance to speak to the audience and tell them where they can find you, where they can find your your products. um if you have social media handles, portals where they can actually connect with you and and and uh sample your products if they're not doing so already. Yeah.
Okay. You can find us in Facebook, on Instagram, on Tik Tok, on X as Mosuro Afia. Mhm.
You can also call us or send us a message on WhatsApp 070589623 or shop on our website uh mosoro aafia.co.k where you'll get a wide range of solutions that can support uh you your children your parents. uh actually this gifting season uh coming to Christmas it is uh we we should change and start to gift uh people good health.

53:32
Excellent.
Yes.
Excellent. That's a fabulous fabulous suggestion. Thank you very much uh for being our guest on um the African Do podcast. It's a really joy and privilege to see you and how you're executing. Uh this podcast is about uh excellent Africans executing excellent excellently and you do fit the bill. Soantes ladies and gentlemen that brings us to the end of this episode. Uh we have had a fabulous conversation with Magdalene Mu of Mosor Afia. Check them out as she has said at musuro afia.co.ke and see what they have to offer and maybe even sample and try their products. We look forward to being with you in the next episode and thank you very much for being with us. Santisan