Emy Banda’s journey began in a simple kitchen in Lilongwe where a passion turned into a thriving business.
Originally from Nkhata Bay and educated in Zimbabwe and Malawi and has a degree in Education Sciences, majoring in Chemistry and minor in Mathematics, at University of Malawi, Emy was inspired by her passion for cooking and an sharp eye for opportunity.
In 2022, faced with soaring tomato prices in Malawi despite an abundant harvest that often went to waste, Emy decided to preserve tomatoes for her own family’s use during the lean season.
She created tomato paste, puree, and a special blend called Susa Cooking Mix, a unique five-in-one mix of tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers and herbs. This mix allows anyone to make delicious, flavourful stews and soups with minimal effort and cost.
What started as a home experiment quickly gained popularity. Friends loved the product, especially for preparing quick, tasty meals for their children’s school lunches. With just 200 bottles initially stored, Emy sold out quickly and soon found herself expanding production.
Today, Susa is more than a cooking mix. Emy sources tomatoes both from her own farm and local farmers, employs workers on the farm and plans to recruit more for production and processing.
Though she began with simple tools like watering cans she has upgraded machinery and aims to introduce solar-powered irrigation to improve efficiency.
Certification remains a challenge limiting wider distribution, but demand is growing across Malawi—in Lilongwe, Zomba, Mangochi, Mzuzu and Blantyre.
Alongside her business, Emy offers part-time consultancy in data collection, monitoring and evaluation, business planning and idea formulation. Through her initiative Emerald Vision she plans to train farmers in sustainable tomato farming to enhance supply chains.
Her vision for Susa is bold to provide fresh and processed tomato products year-round, not only across Malawi but internationally.
She is also exploring to expand into beans, peppers, garlic and even venture into makeup enterpreneurship.
Emy’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is clear: “Start with what you have. Take humble beginnings as opportunities to learn. Stay consistent and strategically position yourself, opportunities will follow. Time never lies.”
At 37, Banda’s story is a testament to how passion, persistence and innovation can turn a simple kitchen idea into a brand that feeds families and supports communities.
