A youth-run cooking oil processing company, Tawonga Cooking Oil Processors is on course to dominate the local cooking market through the production of high-quality cooking oil made from sunflower and soybean.
Launched in 2022, the company, based at Embangweni in Mzimba produces high-quality cooking oil which is being sold under the brand “Tawonga Cooking Oil”.
Beyond the cooking oil production, the company also specialises in the production of sunflower cake, a byproduct used for animal feed and laundry soap making.
Tawonga Cooking Oil Processors co-founder and managing director Timothy Munthali has indicated that the company decided to venture into cooking oil production after noticing a huge market potential available in the industry.
“So, after some research, we decided to put together some money and try cooking oil production after noticing the huge market potential and availability of affordable raw materials in the area where we operate from,” he said.
Munthali said the company, which he co-founded with his colleague, Joy Munthali, purchases sunflower and soybean from farmers which are then cleaned and sorted.
“We then use a screw press or hydraulic press to extract oil from seeds which is then neutralised to remove impurities,” said Munthali.
Currently, the company is providing over 1,000 local farmers with a direct access to sunflower market, helping local communities with income in the process.
“We also have three employees, including myself working full time to produce an average of 1,000 litres per week,” he said.
Tawonga Cooking Oil Processors exploits have since caught the attention of the Mzimba District Council, describing the company as a vital tool in addressing the alarming rate of youth migration from the district to South Africa.
“The coming in of this company has provided our youths with a source of income through the sale of soybeans and sunflower, indirectly reducing the number of youths migrating to South Africa in search of greener pastures,” said Mzimba District Council director of administration Viston Mulungu.
Tawonga Cooking Oil is currently being sold in several stores in Mzimba and the Northern Region.
