Africa-Press – Lesotho. A female entrepreneur Bokang Matlosa has graduated to be a sole founder of a Fruit Xtract company that turns fruit extract into a syrup. The company produces high quality
strawberries in a 144 m² area located in Maseru, Lesotho. The strawberries are grown under two greenhouse structures. These strawberries are then used to
produce the fruit syrups. Matlosa disclosed to Informative Newspaper that “currently Fruit Xtract only manufacture syrups and will later produce concentrated, juices and jams.
“Among the flavours we have Passion fruit, Mixed Berries and Blueberry. These fruits are currently sourced from local supermarkets,” she said. She said the syrups are made by blending natural
fruits with sugar and they are housed in 750ml bottles. The syrups are also used to add flavor to cocktails, ice creams, yoghurts and pastries among others.
Matlosa said the idea to go into beverage industry came about when she learnt that beverages were consumed at a higher rate during 2020 summer and she saw an
opportunity to venture into this market while offering something different and healthier. Through the research that she conducted before she started her
business, Matlosa says she discovered that about 80% of the goods that are consumed in the country, most are imported from South Africa (SA). These includes fruits
as well as beverages. “It is for this reason that I decided to produce fruits and use them to manufacture fruit drinks”, she noted. Post thorough research, she attested that she learnt that consumers now buy goods based on
the product’s perceived benefits to their health and wellness. This informed her decision to use fruits to produce drinks. As she played around with different types of recipes,
incorporating different kinds of fruits, she got a very positive feedback from family and friends on strawberry drink – she disclosed. Matlosa praises a graphic designer who assisted her with branding to enable her to
market the products. “I approached one restaurant around Maseru where my product was used as ingredient in their signature cocktails. The constant feedback from the restaurant owner led to the color, flavor and consistency of
the drink being modified,” she stated. She further said she was fortunate enough to get financial assistance from her parents. She unbelievably reflected that she had a sketchy clue of what she was doing as she
had no prior knowledge of the industry and had never made a product before. She said the other challenge was difficulty to source enough fruits from the local
supermarkets. She added that because of the pandemic, the whole hospitality industry was closed just after she started her business and that was another
challenge. She said at Fruit Xtract, the aim is to work with local farmers to produce a variety of fruits and also to help reduce importation of beverages and fruits, increase fruit production and create jobs.
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