FIRSTWATCH Entrepreneur’s Challenge winner Mpho Mohaswa has been extremely busy since taking the grand prize in 2019. Her product, Ghemere Ginger Beer, gained major popularity during the 2020 and 2021 lockdown period. And now, Mpho is branching out even more, taking her product to resellers around South Africa with the support of the Firstwatch brand right behind her.
Mpho comments, “So much has happened since the challenge and we are really happy with the progress we have made thanks to Firstwatch. Through the challenge we gained media backing which helped us pick up a lot of interest from new customers. Our product is currently available on Takealot.com, in selected Food Lovers’ Market stores and via our website www.preciousandpearl.com. We have also expanded our footprint even more with our Ghemere Edition Gift Pack in partnership with Firstwatch Whisky. These special gift packs are available in Makro stores nationwide.”
Mpho is a chemical engineer turned entrepreneur who founded Precious and Pearl Brands, the home of Ghemere Ginger Beer. In the creation of her all-natural, traditional beverage, Mpho set out to maintain the nostalgic, traditional authenticity of South African ginger beer.
Ghemere is a non-alcoholic ginger beer, available in concentrate or ready-to-drink bottles.
“Being associated with a big brand like Firstwatch has opened doors for us, lending more credibility to our brand and considerably elevating our brand visibility. Our increased production output has allowed us to focus on expanding the business and we can’t wait to take Ghemere to more South Africans around the country.”
Since 2019, the beginning of her whirlwind entrepreneurial journey, Mpho has achieved several milestones, including being granted a food safety certificate for her product, engaging with multiple major retailers, negotiating product placement in-store and gaining a loyal customer base online and through word of mouth.
To find out more about the First Watch Entrepreneurs’ Challenge and the winners of the 2022 competition, visit https://firstwatchwhisky.co.za/
