Covid-19 drives business innovation

21 Feb, 2021 - 00:02 0 Views
Covid-19 drives business innovation Providence Moyo

The Sunday News

Nkosilathi Sibanda, Business Correspondent
WITH many small businesses experiencing considerable financial difficulties, a market savvy Bulawayo based company, Divine Pro, has taken swift action to diversify its product line and remain afloat in the era of Covid-19.

This comes barely months after the emerging company opened its first ever nutritious food and beverage manufacturing site in the city.

The impact of Covid-19 on the local manufacturing sector has been hugely felt as most markets are closed due to the ongoing lockdown.

The Confederation of Zimbabwe (CZI) has encouraged manufactures, in particular emerging companies to look for alternative markets outside borders so as to create a steady supply chain.

The company, run by Providence Moyo is well known for its assorted skin care range of products but has expanded to produce nutritional beverages, with its latest offering, the Tamarind drink already filling store shelves in leading outlets in the city.

Moyo said through establishing the new brand, manufactured from natural extracts, the company aims at meeting the global demand for nutritional supplements, owing to the Covid-19 disease.

The 2020 Megafest Gold medalist for the Enterprising Businesswoman of the year said the option to broaden the product range was driven by the ever-changing consumer needs brought about by the new normal.

“We have been taught well by the demands of our customer base. Covid-19 has shown the light to small businesses on the need to continue producing more. While we pushed our well-known skin care range and other beverage brands, we were alerted by trends in the market. People now want products that add to their wellbeing, which is why we offered the Tamarind Juice.

Moyo told Sunday Business that since experimenting with beverages from natural extracts, her company’s brand portfolio has risen.

“As an emerging business, it is not always advisable to rely on one product. When we decided to put a notch up on our brands through products such as Tamarind Juice, we realised that the new normal brought good business to our books.”

Last year, Divine Pro launched its first beverage brand the Baobab Juice from its manufacturing plant which packages over 300 bottles per week.

Moyo said they have laid down plans to penetrate regional markets once Covid-19 restrictions on business are lifted.

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