Sinokubonga Nkala
Nokuthaba Brita Ncube, [email protected]
BULAWAYO-based confectionery company, Mr Sinkwa is gearing up to celebrate its first anniversary today, marking a year of milestones, community engagement, and innovative branding.
Established by passionate Zimbabweans committed to delivering fresh bread daily, the company has made significant strides since its inception in December 2023.
In an interview, Ms Liticia Amanda Trindade, the firm’s marketing coordinator, said the idea for Mr Sinkwa started in November last year.
“Mr Sinkwa became a concept sometime in November last year. We decided to run with it and launched our first loaf, the white loaf known as Mr Sinkwa, on December 12, 2023,” she explained.
The brand’s unique identity resonates with the southern region, boasting fresh bread, eye-catching packaging, and an impressive shelf life.
“That is one of the things that makes it special. You look at its qualities, its fresh bread and it has got a wonderful taste and bright attractive colourful packaging and it has a good shelf life,” said Ms Trindade.
Building on its success, the company introduced complementary products, creating a “Sinkwa family” with engaging narratives such as “Mrs Sinkwa”, a brown loaf in bright pink packaging, launched in February 2024 as a “partner” to Mr Sinkwa and “Dr Sinkwa”, a whole-wheat loaf symbolising health and wellness, introduced in March 2024.
Ms Trindade emphasised that future products will continue to incorporate customer suggestions, fostering deeper market engagement.
“There is not much on the product itself that would make it innovative, but our relationship with the people, what we do for the communities that’s where we have been focusing more of our innovation in,” she said.
Ms Trindade added: “We are creating a story, we have got a Mr, a Mrs and a Dr on the scene so everyone is expecting something. We want to work with the suggestions coming through from the market because that is what excites them.”
Mr Sinkwa has prioritised community relationships over profits, partnering with organisations like Zimcare Trust, Ingutsheni, the National Aids Council (NAC), the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) and the Rotary Club.
Brand ambassador, Mr Jackson Kasoosoe, highlighted their involvement in athletics tournaments for differently-abled children, drug and substance abuse awareness, and HIV prevention campaigns.
“Our main partnership this year was with the athletics tournament. We provided bread, mingled, and had fun with the differently-abled children on the two-day event.
“We also did roads shows around to promote awareness because we still have children that are being locked in houses because people are too shy to take them out. We are now campaigning that these kids still have a life,” he said.
To celebrate its anniversary on Saturday, Mr Sinkwa has organised an event that includes free entry for children under 12, with fun games lined up for the day, a US$2 entry fee for adults, with all proceeds going to the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ) and free breast cancer and prostate cancer screenings, along with counselling sessions.
The firm’s commitment to cancer awareness is symbolised by the pink ribbon on the Mrs Sinkwa packaging, with profits from its sales directed to CAZ.
Reflecting on the journey, Ms Trindade noted: “One of the major lessons I would say that we have learnt as the Sinkwa team is that it is not always about making money but creating relationships and memorable moments in the market.”
She said with a strong foundation of community-centric values and innovative branding, Mr Sinkwa is poised to continue thriving while positively impacting the lives of Zimbabweans.
