Homes Industries Ltd, an impact creating agribusiness in Malawi generating economic opportunities for small-holder farmers

Victoria Mwafulirwa is an award winning agripreneur and the founder and Managing Director of Homes Industries Ltd, an agro-processing company located in Karonga District, in the northern region of Malawi. The company, which was established in March 2015, works with over 2500 smallholder farmers in an out-grower scheme that grows sunflower, rice and groundnuts. Homes Industries Ltd manufactures cold pressed sunflower oil and peanut flour (Nsinjiro). It also processes and packages brown and regular white Kilombero rice. Recently, Homes Industries Ltd added the ‘Homes Peanut Butter’ to its product line. The newly introduced nutritious peanut paste, aims at creating enjoyment for the whole family. The company employs 11 people.

Victoria Mwafulirwa is a communications and supply chain professional. She has previously worked as Communications and External Relations officer, as well as Supply Chain Officer for Paladin Africa from. Earlier in life, she also worked as a News Correspondent for SABC Africa in Malawi. In 2020, Victoria was awarded the African Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF), while the company she runs, Homes Industries grabbed the Agri Entrepreneur of the year. In 2019, Homes Industries was awarded the Most Impactful Business by Hivos. In addition, Victoria has served as Regional Chairperson for the African Network for Environmental Journalists under the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), and was Regional Editor for Earth Wire Africa, an online news portal that focuses on environmental and current affairs on the continent.

Victoria is also a passionate on empowering women and girls in order to ensure that they are food secure and have access to education so that they can be self-reliant, and sustainably run their households. She is also involved in advocating for better prices of farm produce as she believes this is the gateway to decent income for rural farmers. Currently, Victoria is involved in several community women and youth empowering activities aimed at achieving economic empowerment, good nutrition, and climate change interventions. She is a cross-border trader and serves as the Secretary General of the Cross-border Association of Malawi. Victoria is Married to Michael Mwafulirwa and has a daughter Celeste.

Lioness Weekender spoke to Victoria about her entrepreneurial journey, the importance of building a strong agribusiness sector in Africa, and her ambitions for the future of her business.

What does your company do?

We are agro processors working with a network of smallholder farmers in growing and processing sunflower, rice, groundnuts, and other legumes in Karonga district, northern Malawi. We process these into various products like regular white and brown rice, peanut flour, peanut butter, sunflower oil, and porridge flour. We recently started exporting our grains into South Africa and United States. We want to grow further and serve the continent and help combat food insecurity. Our products are organic, nutritious, and whole.

What inspired you to start your company?

I was motivated to start this business after seeing a gap in whole processed products on the market despite all these foods being grown in abundance by women smallholder farmers in the area that I live. I offered a catering service where I had to process my own ingredients and after the 3-year contract came to an end, Homes Industries was born because the products were still not available on the market.

I quickly discovered that the raw materials needed were in large quantities thus built an out-grower network with 200 smallholder farmers. 8 years later the network has grown to 2500 farmers and is expected to increase to 8000 by 2025. The gaps that are being addressed include but are not limited to access to good nutrition, economic empowerment, a ready market for farm produce, and job creation.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

We are special because we run an inclusive business model where the impact to the households is felt and seen. We are part of the community we work in where we provide capacity building, inputs, and extension services as well as a ready market. Our uniqueness is that we are able to control quality first hand with an interface with the smallholder farmers.

Tell us a little about your team:

My team is dynamic and has the passion to ensure that we contribute to the country's food security. Joseph Mwangalawa is the accountant; Emmanuel Chigwenembe is the Administrator; Esther Ghambi is in Sales; Brenda Chitete, Matilda Salaka and Andrew Kabango are extension service providers; We Matchado is the Machine operator; and the cleaners.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I come from a food family where we processed our own food. My great-grandmother was a superstar, with not much education, she still advocated for education and women's economic empowerment. this led to me engaging in commercial activities early in life. My mother made assorted confectionery snacks that I sold after school, she made tailored clothes and heavy-duty uniforms on order alongside many other income-generating activities. Same with my aunties. Little did I know this would be me one day. And so, after leaving the corporate world, I started the catering business and then birthed Homes Industries in 2015 and have since understood that some of the dynamics I learned earlier in life are what keep me going. I am not sure if that is enough to say I come from an entrepreneurial background. My mother is a food Chemist, my father is an Industrial technologist, and I am a communications and supply chain professional.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

We want to be the leading whole food processor in the country and globally eventually. While we have started exporting, we wish to continue with sustainable food production, so we are able to be food secure. We are the brand for every home, we intend to live it that way and deliver our brand promise.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

The fact that I can share the passion and vision with everyone and eventually see the impact it is having. Impact is one the biggest things that give me satisfaction.
There are more women smallholder farmers earning an income from Homes Industries, their households are food secure, and their children are going to school with bellies full and clothes/uniforms on their backs. We see more climate-sensitive agriculture practices, and post-harvest management of raw materials to ensure quality and that makes me happy. Job creation, economic empowerment, and value addition also give me satisfaction. Lastly, seeing a quality finished product that makes clients happy is a priceless feeling.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

It is normal to second guess oneself, but just start, don't lose sight of your vision, it is what keeps you going even when no one understands you.

Contact or follow Homes Industries Ltd

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | EMAIL vmsowoya@gmail.com