Young innovators launch company, introduce new soup product manufactured from local ingredients
The manufacturers of Omboga spinach soup, VNA Foods this week launched their enterprise with financing from the Development Bank of Namibia. The trailblazing product landed VNA the bank’s Innovation Award in 2018, together with a commitment to finance the development of the product.
Omboga is a locally-manufactured dry soup powder, packed like any other soup in a conventional sachet.
While in the development phase, the Development Bank supported VNA Foods to finalise the production recipe through testing and refinement, and to get barcodes assigned for easy point of sale processing.
The bank’s Head of Business Strategy, Heike Scholtz said it is the institution’s view that innovation must be a set of transformative activites applicable to all industries. Furthermore, the bank puts a high value on utilising local resources, improving efficiencies and growing enterprises to the level where they can benefit from economies of scale.
The impact of innovation, Scholtz said, is that Namibia will become less dependent on imports and increase the potential for exports.
On VNA Foods’ innovative soup, she said it promotes both self-sufficiency and food security. The company’s shareholding and operational model also fit in with the bank’s mandate to support young entrepreneurs.
At the launch of VNA Foods and its innovative spinach-based dry soup product, Valde Leonard (left) said they will contract local producers to ensure a sufficient supply of raw material.
