From a township outside Port Shepstone to building a growing coffee brand supplying hotels across South Africa, Asmara Coffee founder Nobuhle Magwentshu is turning her passion for coffee into a business focused on growth, employment and African identity.

Magwentshu's career spans more than 20 years across manufacturing, FMCG and retail, where she worked in food and beverage development. Her interest in coffee grew while developing offers for major oil companies, prompting her to travel to coffee-growing regions in Africa and learn more about the value chain.

Since incorporating Asmara Coffee in 2014 and becoming operational in 2018, Magwentshu has grown the business through partnerships with major hospitality and retail players. The company now supplies City Lodge and Courtyard Hotels nationwide, while expanding its production capacity and developing its own footprint.

For Women's Month, Bizcommunity caught up with Magwentshu about building an African coffee brand, overcoming the challenges of scaling an SMME, and creating opportunities for others along the way.

You founded Asmara Coffee with a vision to showcase African coffee while creating opportunities within local communities. Looking back, what first inspired you to pursue entrepreneurship, and what has been the defining moment of your journey so far?

My entrepreneurial journey was inspired by a desire to create a proudly African brand that pays homage to Africa as the origin of coffee, while making quality coffee more accessible and creating meaningful opportunities within our communities.

A defining moment was securing our partnership with City Lodge Hotels, which affirmed our potential and enabled us to scale, create employment and develop young people through barista training.

Building a business from the ground up is rarely straightforward. As a woman entrepreneur in the food and beverage sector, what barriers have you had to overcome, and what have those experiences taught you about resilience and leadership?

Building Asmara Coffee has been an incredibly rewarding journey of growth and discovery. Along the way, I have had to overcome limited access to funding, market visibility and the resources needed to scale in a highly competitive industry.

As a woman entrepreneur, I have also had to work harder to establish credibility and earn my place at the table. These experiences have taught me to remain focused, adaptable and committed to the vision. They have also shown me that leadership is about bringing people along, creating opportunities and building a team that believes in the purpose of the business.

Read the full article in Bizcommunity here.