Exporting Made-in-Africa products to 15 countries: CEO reveals her strategies
We speak to Claudia Castellanos, co-founder and CEO of chilli sauce maker Black Mamba, about the strategies she has employed to expand the company's export markets.
Our new book, How we made it in Africa II: Real stories of entrepreneurs turning opportunity into profit, is available here. The book was recently shortlisted for the Business Council for Africa (BCA) African Business Book of the Year Awards 2026.
With its vast areas of arable land, favourable climate and affordable labour, Africa possesses significant potential to export packaged food products to developed countries. Additionally, global interest in unique African foods is on the rise. Tapping into this potential is Black Mamba, a chilli sauce producer based in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), founded in 2010. To date, it has exported to 15 countries, with the UK, Norway, and Germany being prominent markets. Jaco Maritz spoke to Claudia Castellanos, co-founder and CEO of Black Mamba, about the strategies she has employed to expand the company’s export markets.
