A revolution is taking place right in the middle of Zambia. A brand owned by the HNM Group Company Limited called HNM Spice and Herbs is empowering regional farmers and upending the global spice and herb market. This proudly Zambian business was founded in 2016 and focuses on obtaining locally farmed raw materials through community farmer out-grower programs. HNM Spice and Herbs has grown rapidly over the past few years, winning honors from the industry and influencing a new generation of business owners.
Hellen Ngwira Mwamba is the company’s CEO and founder, and HNM Spice and Herbs has already won a long list of honors in 2022. They competed against companies from seven different African nations for the Manufacturing Founder of the Year award at the FOYA awards; first place in the Female Agro Business Entrepreneur category at the Zambia Bureau of Standards/Zambia Association of Manufacturers awards; and a Certificate of Recognition for the Most Innovative Product Runner Up.
According to PMI Prophecy Market Insights, the global market for spices and herbs, which was valued at $15.9 billion in 2018, is expected to expand to $22.8 billion by 2026 at a compound annual rate of 4.7%. With its extensive selection of premium goods, HNM Spice and Herbs is able to satisfy the demand as consumers’ interest in new flavors and ethnic tastes grows.
Through out-grower programmes, HNM Spice and Herbs empowers and mobilizes nearby rural people to secure a competitive and sustainable raw material supply. With this strategy, local farmers are not only supported but a market is also created for the spices and herbs they grow. HNM Spice & Herbs provides training programs that cover all facets of herb production, from propagation to harvest and post-harvest, in order to solve the difficulties experienced by farmers, such as a lack of information, talent, and processes for cultivating and processing spices and herbs.
These training initiatives have received an overwhelmingly positive reaction from farmers not only in Zambia but also throughout in the region. HNM Spice and Herbs is successfully addressing Zambia’s underdeveloped market for spices and herbs by providing local growers with the required training and information.
The potential for growing spices and herbs is enormous, with almost 58% of Zambia’s land being categorized as having a medium-to-high potential for agricultural output. By supporting current small-scale farmers and developing a new market for spice producers in Zambia, HNM Spice and Herbs hopes to provide employment opportunities for women and young people in the neighborhood.
With ambitions to grow into other local markets by 2023, including the Copperbelt, Livingstone, and Solwezi, as well as regional markets by 2026, the future is looking good for HNM Spice and Herbs. The long-term goals of the business include reaching out to the rest of Africa and, eventually, Europe and the global market.
HNM Spice and Herbs is a prime example of how entrepreneurship, tenacity, and invention can reshape regional economies. The potential of the spice and herb market and the value of helping regional farmers and companies are both demonstrated by this uplifting Zambian success story. HNM Spice and Herbs’ influence will likely be felt far outside of Zambia as it maintains its incredible expansion.
