Sundaymail Editor
Enacy Mapakame
“Purveyors of Fine Foods” is the tagline for Ruthzhak Marketing, a commodity broking and marketing services entity trading as Richtag Foods that is into food value addition.
The firm now boasts of brands such as Lorraine Brands for spices, Authentic Tastes and Exceptional Tastes developed for the export market.
It now has a range of products from dried kapenta, sugar beans, soya chunks, peanut butter and pop-corn among others. But the journey was not a bed of roses.
From the dusty footpaths of Chiweshe, founder, Pearson Tagarira, dared to dream and become an entrepreneur of repute. Today he wants to show the world that indeed Zimbabwe is open for business and is a land of vast opportunities for upcoming enterprises.
A marketer by profession, Mr Tagarira’s dream of becoming an entrepreneur started decades ago from observing the late businessman Peter Pamire, who became his inspiration.
“I grew up in Chiweshe communal lands, Mashonaland Central. We grew up together with the late vice chairman of Affirmative Action Group (AAG) Peter Pamire, the pioneers of black empowerment in Zimbabwe. I was inspired by him and I told myself that one day I have to be my own boss.
“I worked at Lowcost Enterprises the company chaired by the chairman of Fly Africa Club, Cassidy Mugwagwa, who also taught me and mentored me to be who I am. I worked at Lowcost as a sales administrator,” he said.
Before establishing his own brand, Mr Tagarira also worked for a leading spice manufacturing company in Zimbabwe, where he joined as an assistant marketing manager and rose to be the head of the marketing department.
“The company failed to meet my sales forecast and reputable clients who buy spices de-listed it on the supply side. Eventually, that is when I realised my opportunity to register Ruthzhak Marketing in 2019 and I created a food division Richtag Foods, the division with a catch phrase ‘Purveryors of Fine Foods’. This division caters for all food provisions.
“We have our house brands — Lorraine Brands, it’s a brand for spices which caters for all low end clients,” he said.
The firm also has Authentic Taste, a brand for spices that caters for the medium end market and high end clients.
“We developed Exceptional Taste the brand for export and developed the down packing of Richtag dried kapenta, popcorn, sugar beans, soya chunks and Ellen Maj Peanut Butter,” said Mr Tagarira.
Mr Tagarira emphasised the need to create exceptional brands that satisfy customer needs in order to survive the stiff competition in the cut-throat food industry.
This can be achieved through seeking expertise, guidance and proper market research to identify the threats and opportunities within the sector.
For Richtag Foods, the firm has ZimTrade to thank for guidance on requirements needed to penetrate the export market.
Now, despite the challenges in the sector such as packaging, Mr Tagarira says his company is not backtracking, but will continue to push forward and make significant contribution to the economy and the country’s aspirations of becoming an upper middle-income economy.
Currently, the firm has 14 employees, from the pioneering four.
“We aim to accomplish His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s mantra —Zimbabwe is open for business. In two to five years, we should be somewhere. We are looking at getting support from the Ministry of Small to Medium Enterprises as well as Ministry of Industry and Commerce and financing from banks so our dreams can be fulfilled.”
Online Reporter