Isabel Messias Tonela, a young Mozambican entrepreneur building a food processing business turning tubers into flour and chips

Startup Story

Isabel Messias Tonela is a young Mozambican entrepreneur and the founder of SBEL & Farinhas, SU, LDA, a company focused on processing tubers for the production of flour and Chips. The company was founded in 2024 and is in its embryonic phase after Isabel won the Business Plan Competition implemented by (SEJE), through INJ and with the support of the World Bank. She is also a final year student on the Aquatic and Coastal Marine Biology course at Eduardo Mondlane University.

Isabel Messias Tonela é uma jovem estudante finalista do curso de Biologia Marinha Aquática e Costeira, na Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Fundadora da SBEL & Farinhas (Moçambique), é uma empreendedora iniciante, a empresa está focada no processamento de tubérculos, para produção de farinhas e Chips, a empresa foi fundada neste ano de 2024 e está na sua fase embrionária, após ter ganho o concurso Competição de Planos de Negócio implementado pelo (SEJE), através do INJ e com o Apoio do Banco Mundial.

LoA spoke to Isabel about her business, her aspirations, and vision for the future.

What does your company do?

The company processes tubers to produce flour and chips and we are currently working with the production of cassava chips and yams, with plans to start flour production at the beginning of the new year, in January 2025.

A empresa processa tubérculos para produção de farinha e chips e neste momento estamos a trabalhar com produção de Chips de mandioca e Inhame, com previsão de iniciar a produção de farinha no início próximo do ano, em Janeiro.

“What inspired the creation of the company was realizing that in our country there is a large production of tubers which we use for cooked consumption. I saw an opportunity to bring something different and original, something that is ours and that identifies us as Mozambicans.”

What inspired you to start your company?

What inspired the creation of the company was realizing that in our country there is a large production of tubers which we use for cooked consumption. When I signed up for the business plan competition I sought to show something innovative and applicable, given that in our country tubers are consumed as potato chips. I saw an opportunity to bring something different and original, something that is ours and that identifies us as Mozambicans. The tubers are rich in vitamins, carbohydrates and fiber, gluten-free, appealing for people who are gluten intolerant, and help in cultivating healthy and nutritious habits in our market, and generating jobs for young people in my district.

O que inspirou a criação da empresa foi perceber que no nosso país existe muita produção de tubérculos a qual, usamos para consumo cozido, quando me inscrevi na competição de planos de negócios buscava mostrar algo inovador e aplicável, sendo que no nosso país consome-se mais os chips de Batata Reno, vi ai uma oportunidade de trazer algo diferente e com originalidade, algo que é nosso e que nos identificasse como Moçambicanos, os tubérculos são ricos em vitaminas, carbohidrados e em fibras, sem glúten, pensando em pessoas intolerantes a glúten e em cultivar hábitos saudáveis e nutritivos no nosso mercado, e gerar postos de emprego aos jovens do meu distrito.

What makes your business, service or product special?

What makes my product special is that it is a natural and healthy product, without preservatives, 100% Mozambican.

O que torna o meu produto especial, é um produto natural e saudável, sem conservantes, 100% moçambicano.

“What makes my product special is that it is a natural and healthy product, without preservatives, 100% Mozambican.”

Tell us a little about your team

Right now my team is made up of me, I am a solopreneur.

Neste momento a minha equipa e composta por mim.

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

The team is made up of me, but I intend to expand the team and will start with 3 employees, with a fixed location, and some machines.

A equipa é composta por mim, porém pretendo ampliar a equipe e iniciarei com 3 colaboradores, com um local fixo e com algumas máquinas.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

My future plans are that I can expand my business, having branches in some regions of the country, and that I have the opportunity to export my products and have physical stores. I intend to have more production lines in addition to flour and chips. I also wish to generate jobs, to empower young people in this area of ​​entrepreneurship, and to contribute to the growth of my country's economy. Also to contribute socially in the district of Homoine, which is where I will set up the factory at this initial stage.

Os meus planos futuros são que eu possa expandir o meu negócio, tendo algumas sucursais em algumas regiões do país e que tenha oportunidade de exportar os meus produtos e ter lojas físicas, pretendo ter mais linha de produção além de farinha e chips, que eu consiga gerar empregos, que capacite alguns jovens nesta área do empreendedorismo, que seja uma referência na área do empreendedorismo a nível nacional e internacional, que consiga contribuir para o crescimento da economia do meu país, que contribua de forma social no distrito de Homoine que é onde implantarei a fábrica nesta fase inicial.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

What gives me the most satisfaction as an entrepreneur is the fact that I can understand that our market needs these products. Also to see young women in this area of ​​entrepreneurship, and to appreciate how much we value the wealth that our country provides us. The fact that having looked at these raw ingredients not superficially, and being able to transform them into wonderful new products, makes me super fulfilled. For the boldness of participating in national and African training programmes makes me an entrepreneur who chases her dreams. Yesterday my business was just an idea and now it is now materializing. What also gives me satisfaction is my strength of having left my comfort zone for the confrontation zone, and my development as a person. I look at my journey to date and I am proud of having embraced entrepreneurship. The determination to grow my business inspires me and strengthens me.

O que mais me dá forças como empreendedora é pelo facto de poder perceber que o nosso mercado precisa destes produtos, e ver jovens mulheres na área do empreendedorismo, o quão estamos dando valor a riqueza que o nosso país nos proporciona, e pelo facto de eu ter olhado para estes produtos não de forma superficial e poder os transformar em maravilhas, e isso deixa-me super realizada, pela ousadia que tenho dito de participar em capacitações nacionais e africanas, faz de mim uma empreendedora que corre atrás dos seus sonhos, ontem era uma ideia hoje esta se materializando, a minha força de ter saído da minha zona de conforto para a de confronto, o meu desenvolvimento como pessoa, olho o meu mini percurso e me orgulho de ter abraçado o empreendedorismo e garra de fazer crescer o meu negócio isso me inspira, me fortalece.

“My future plans are that I can expand my business, having branches in some regions of the country, and that I have the opportunity to export my products and have physical stores.”

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

The advice I give to women who are thinking about opening a business is, don't give up on your dreams, move forward, leave your comfort zones for the confrontation zone. Only then will your dreams be realized.

Difficulties and barriers will exist, but they are not reasons for you to give up on what you believe in. Not everyone will understand your vision and perspective. If you know where you want to get to, that is enough for you to pursue your vision, to connect with the right people, so they can direct you.

God does not put impossible dreams in our lives. If he puts an idea it is because it is possible to achieve it. We are women who bring the change we need and that means we can lift up other women.

O conselho que deixo para as mulheres que pensam em abrir uma empresa, não desistam dos vossos sonhos, sigam em frente, que deixem as suas zonas de conforto para a zona de confronto só assim os seus sonhos serão realizados, dificuldades e barreiras existirão, mas que não sejam motivos para que desistam daquilo que acreditam, nem todo mundo entendera sua visão e perspectiva, se nós sabemos onde queremos chegar isso já é suficiente para corrermos atrás, que possamos nos conectar com as pessoas certas, para que nos direcionem e não nos atrasem. Deus não coloca sonhos impossíveis em nossas vidas, se coloca uma ideia é porque, é possível concretizar, que sejamos mulheres que tragam a mudança da qual precisamos e que possamos levantar outras mulheres.

Find out more

E-mail: isabeltonela@gmail.com

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Why LoA loves it…

It is always inspirational to see young women entrepreneurs emerging who see a gap in the market, a local raw ingredient that can be turned into a commercial product, and use that as the basis of a business idea. Isabel Messias Tonela is doing just that, building a food processing business turning the raw ingredient of tubers into flour and chips. She has a big vision for the future, one that creates jobs for others as she grows, and has export potential. A business to watch over the coming months and years. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa