African cuisine my recipe for success

Success for Kenyan entrepreneur Pamela Muyeshi has been muscling out the international brands in the local food industry space and setting up African cuisine at the high table.

It has been a long journey for the entrepreneur but it is now clear that whatever recipe for her success she had put together, it is paying dividends.
Her unique Afro-themed hotel chain, Amaica, ha opened shop at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Terminal 1A, taking the battle to the very entry point into the country.

Ms Munyeshi serves a special treat; the gourmet safari, a seven-course meal selected from all regions in Kenya prepared traditionally to the detail.

“We have chosen a signature dish from every region for the product and we offer both a vegetarian option for every non-vegetarian part of the course. It’s actually our biggest product in terms of revenue,” Ms Munyeshi told Money at her restaurant in Westlands, Peponi Road, her first outlet.

The hearty entrepreneur says she saw an opportunity to build the ordinary traditional meals into a viable, authentically African hospitality business and grabbed it with both hands.

“I used to travel a lot when I was head of IT at the Federation of Kenya Employers, and I would see the standard continental food was kept somewhere in a corner but the traditional meals were done very elaborately because people were proud of their cuisine,” Ms Munyeshi said.
She decided to translate Kenya’s diverse culture with their respective cuisine into a business.

Amaica, which literally means the three traditional cooking stones in Luhya language, has grown into a major brand in just over ten years.
“I believe that being an African; born, bred and schooled in Africa is the greatest gift that God ever gave me. We have so much going for us as Africans living in Africa and more specifically in Kenya,” Ms Munyeshi said.

She noted that she could not think of anything else other than a business that elevates and positions African culture and heritage where it belong.
Ms Munyeshi opened Amaica’s doors in November 2006 at China Centre in Ngong. The launch was attended by the then Vice President Moody Awori.

“Currently we have two branches that are operational; Westlands on Peponi Road, and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Terminal 1A. We are set to open a third branch in the next few months,” she said.

An alumni of Alliance High School, Ms Munyeshi worked as the head of information technology at FKE but opted out to venture into business.
She said she got tired of “sitting behind a computer” especially after the company’s system was automated rendering her job strictly supervisory.

“I am an IT Expert, software development to be precise. I quit employment in October 2008 to run the business after realising that my business was not performing the way I wanted it to,” she said.

When she set out into the unknown, Ms Muyeshi discovered that she needed more than just a good idea. Financing the idea was her greatest challenge as she was soon to find out that no financial institution was willing to deal with start-ups.

Her African woman-run concept however attracted private equity fund, GroFin Africa Fund in 2011 which put in money in her business, allowing her to expand and grow.

This year, Ms Muyeshi’s business was recognised by Vital Voices Grow Fellowship which nominated her to attend a US-based one-year accelerator programme for small and mid-sized women business owners.

The programme targets female entrepreneurs who receive customised business skills training, technical assistance, leadership development, and access to networks to grow their businesses. She made it to the final list of 69 women from across Latin America, the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa attending the Vital Voices Grow Fellowship.

Eligible companies have to be owned by a woman, employ a minimum of three full-time employees, and generate an annual revenue of at least $40,000 (Sh4 million).

How old is she?

The business has grown from ten staff when she started to 100 regular and part-time employees. She also supports women groups across the country who keep her supply chain running.
The Amaica proprietor said her team has been instrumental in growing the business.

“As the business grows, one of the greatest challenges is recruiting team members who are passionate about our vision, smart enough to execute it and committed to see it come to fruition,” she said.
Ms Munyeshi revealed that the trick is to stay focused and be “in the know” as far as your business is concerned. Hire smart professionals and be part of the team, she added.

How old is she? “Ladies do not disclose their age; you shouldn’t ask ladies above 30 to tell you their age because the answer you get will not be accurate,” she said.

She said hospitality industry is no easy nut to crack but was quick to add that an entrepreneur who does not fear failure will succeed; “It is only by failing that you succeed”.

She says in the food industry one as to insist on exceptional quality standards and consistency and “products or services at the level you believe they ought to be”.

Since 2011, the business has been able to attract and retain corporate clients and the tour industry partly due to funding from Grofin. The finances received went towards the expansion of the Westlands branch on Peponi Road, overlooking Karura forest.

GroFin investment manager Rita Odero, introduced her to the VV Grow fellowship where she beat about 1,000 applicants.
“Ms Odero forwarded the application link to me and said she believes I should be able to qualify for the scholarship if I applied. I did exactly that and of the rest is history,” Ms Munyeshi said.

She said she believes the Fellowship course content is what she needs at this stage of the business where growth is inevitable and that the opportunity will equip her with the skills, knowledge and networks needed by her business.