Real Namibian juice produced in Prosperita

Traditional Roselle hibiscus flowers are currently sourced from Otavi to produce wholesome Mutete hibiscus juice by MYM Trading located in Windhoek’s Prosperita industrial area.

While there are still many plans in the pipeline, Mutete juice, a genuine Namibian product, is already available on store shelves.

Mutete is the Rukwangali word for the Roselle hibiscus flowers, Hibiscus sabdariffa, from which the juice is made. In Oshiwambo it is known as Omutete.

According to one of the three partners of MYM Trading cc Namibia, Werner Alweendo, rural farmers will be trained to grow the traditional hibiscus according to their standards. “Mutete is already growing organically at Otavi, near Ondangwa where I come from, and in the Kavango and Zambezi region,” Alweendo said.



Multiple uses

Seeds are sown in September and the plant is usually harvested in April. Traditionally, the leaves of the plant are cooked as wild spinach. Juice, tea and jam are made from the calyxes or flowers.

According to Alweendo, Mutete is not very sensitive to weather conditions, except in winter it is sensitive to frost. “Through a scheme, we are going to give farmers in rural areas a boost with training to start the cultivation to produce hibiscus flowers.”

Alweendo acts as head of marketing and is responsible for product development. The other two partners are the acting CEO, Fredericks Shipipa, and José Kauhuna is in charge of sales.

The company's juice factory in the capital currently employs a dozen or so people, with the hope to employ more as the business grows.

In the meantime, the factory has expanded thanks to machinery that arrived earlier this year to meet the demand.



Availability

Alweendo says the juice sells quickly in stores and is already available in branches of Food Lover's Market, Spar, OK Foods and OK Express as well as restaurants in Windhoek, Spar Elisenheim and Okahandja with more stores to follow.

"We have a secret recipe for the Mutete juice and have invested particularly heavily in food science to get the right taste. Some other hibiscus flower products taste too bitter," Alweendo explained.

Kennedy Halwoodi is their food scientist and the Namibian Institute for Standards has also approved the product.

Alweendo says Mutete has various health benefits and is recommended by doctors, including for regulating blood sugar levels, helping with weight loss and bloating and cleansing the digestive system. According to him, the juice is rich in vitamins C and E and antioxidants and fights inflammation.