The selected organization is a producer and distributor of healthy food in Zimbabwe and some neighboring countries. It is a small business and is growing quite successfully. According to its founder, the current level of investment attraction is conducive to its expansion and prosperity (Chideme, 2022). Upon the completion of the required certification, the company plans to enter the market in all countries of East and South Africa. By bringing farmers and consumers together, Glytime has an important place in the Zimbabwean market and shows strong growth without significant additional investment in marketing.
Market research was conducted by the founder of the company before choosing the focus of his own company activities in 2017. According to the interview, most healthy foods, vegan porridge, and honey were imported at the time (Chideme, 2022). During the same period, local farmers had problems selling their grown products. Thus, there was a niche for more profitable processing and packaging of such products on more favorable terms, using the capabilities of local producers.
Market entry was made in 2018 with minimal investment. The competition in this area was represented mainly by imported firms based in Europe or Asia, as is often the case in some niche African businesses (Osano, 2019). When entering the business, its founder put all possible efforts and finances into development, saving on everything whenever possible. The firm now has several dozen employees and provides access to opportunities to sell their own products to thousands of farmers.
Glytime’s products are locally produced, which adds to its appeal among local customers. Part of the marketing campaign is the health promotion that the founders do (Chideme, 2022). Considering the large number of farmers involved in the supply, the prominence of the product is also more than widespread.
The Glytime brand is positioned as a social enterprise, giving local farmers access to markets and customers access to healthy food at a bargain price. Sustainability in the local value chain is supported through this association. In addition, local production volumes allow the company to seek international exposure and supply healthy food to Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, and other countries in the region.
Moreover, the brand’s positioning is tightly linked to healthy eating and the vegan movement. The wife and partner of the company’s founder is a registered dietitian, which clearly helped shape the direction of the business (Chideme, 2022). In addition, the lack of prevalence and popularity of this type of product in the market has been beneficial for Glytime, allowing them to occupy their niche and function successfully by combining several various factors mentioned above.
Based on the data provided by the CEO in the interview, the primary sales strategy is to provide cheaper products and attract attention with bright, quality packaging. With this approach, Glytime has a clear advantage over imported, more expensive products and similar non-vegan food producers (Chideme, 2022). Thus, the company’s popularity is growing in the Zimbabwean domestic market and has the potential to spread to markets in other countries.
Thus, the functioning of the company takes place without specific marketing efforts. The need for this particular type of product and the favorable cost has contributed to the growth and popularity of the brand. Given the large number of farmers and the competition between them, the purchase price can be very profitable, which allows it to increase its leadership through the low cost of the finished product even more.
References
Chideme, K. (2022). Zimbabwean health food business exporting to Zambia eyes broader region. Howwemadeitinafrica.com. Web.
Osano, H. M. (2019). Global expansion of SMEs: role of global market strategy for Kenyan SMEs. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 8(1). Web.
