How friends started cream business

Value addition
Twagira and Praise are proprietors of Shanana Africa Limited, a retail outlet business dealing in natural and organic products, including sheer butter harvested by women.

Shanana is short form of Runyankore word, Okushana, which means to glow, or look good. The business model upon which the duo is operating Shanana is through a partnership. The duo has undertaken research in which they have drawn a conclusion that people, all over the world, collect sheer butter from northern Uganda, and not much money is realised among the people who grow the source tree in the region.

Prices
Shanana has 18 products in the prices range of Shs9,500 and Shs300,000.
“Our products have passed all the required tests for them to be sold on both the local and international market. Our oils are all virgin. No heat is applied during production. It is very important to note that our raw materials are 100 per cent Ugandan grown,” Praise further explains.

Target
They are non-discriminatory in clientele target, welcoming anyone who would like to go natural and organic in looking after themselves.
It is partnering with Zoe Foundation, a non-profit organisation which promotes conservation of the environment.
“Chemicals are not good for us,” Twagira adds. Some of the products grown and provided by rural women and farmers, include papaya, coconut oil, rosemary, sheer butter and more.

Mission
Twagira and Praise’s long term goal is to be part of the solution of providing risk-free, health products while protecting the environment and investing in more research.
The environment caution is part of the business. Their policy is that once one buys a product from their outlet, on returning for more, they are encouraged to carry their container for a refill as a way of recycling the containers.

In effect, on return, you will be buying a product but not another container. The motivation of the business partners is to play their part in ridding the environment of waste plastic which pollutes the environment, a step in going green.

“Our short term goals is to hold seminars with urban and rural women in activities and give themskills that will increase their income. We plan to utilise our partners’ skills to educate women who are willing to learn as a way of adding value,” Praise disclosed.

Exports
She adds that they have broken borders and are supplying products to South Africa (SA), United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK) and working towards penetrating the Asian markets.

In her advice to the budding entrepreneurs, the Minister of Trade, Industries and Cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde, said it is important to keep an eye on management of finances, budgeting for every expenditure.

“We start a business with a lot of enthusiasm and zeal and all of a sudden it collapses because we did not plan. You need to keep records and maintain quality. I will be there to support you wherever possible, first by being your customer and then by introducing more customers and helping you with the necessary documentation to ensure that your business strives in a sustainable way,” the trade minister offered.
She implored the partners to stick to the partnership they have cultivated with the seven female entrepreneurs to grow their business and also expand.

Praise runs Zoe Foundation while Twagira operates a restaurant in Bukoto. She also has an 8am to 5pm job with an insurance company.

Challenges
Part of the challenges Twagira highlights is human resource which is not where employers want it to be. “We can only keep trying and pushing. We train and incentivise them,” she adds.
“As ladies we need to speak about the new things we discover. Recently, I discovered coconut oil was good for my hair. The moment I found out, I started spreading the message,” Crystal Newman Kavulu, the emcee at the launch of the enterprise, testified. Twagira and Praise are banking and finance graduates.