The Chilli Queen - adding heat to every drop!
What started as childhood rebellion - concocting chilli sauces that she was not allowed to eat herself - became Chilli Queen - Frieda Vatileni's range of zesty and refreshing sauces that heat up the Namibian market and beyond.
Frieda Vatileni, one half of an identical twin, mother of two and wife of a supportive, mentor-husband who calls her "the radiant light", is the vivacious trailblazer behind Chilli Queen, who she is also known as.
One day, while Vatileni was hosting a traditional Sunday meal for friends and family, served with her fiery and flavourful sauces, her good friend Frans Kamati suggested she start bottling her sauces and selling them. She was also inspired by the chance to make her own money and being self-reliant.
And so Chilli Queen was born.
“Chilli Queen is a proudly Namibian, woman-owned business that adds value to raw chilli products by creating fresh flavoured chilli sauces - from mild flavours to flavours that will have you jumping out of your seat. We have five different flavours, namely Lemon & Herb, Chilli & Herb, Hot Sauce, Wild Sauce and Chilli & Cream. I perfected them all through trial and error and until I was satisfied.”
While she hopes to expand the Chilli Queen range and export throughout the world, she would like to own at least 5% market share as she strives to employ more people and supply local markets with top of the range chillis.
"This is already in the works, but we will announce more exciting projects when we are ready," she says.
Getting ahead
In 2021, Vatileni won the number one spot in the Future Females Business School Cohort 3 pitch. “This gave me so much confidence as I was up against other amazing and promising woman entrepreneurs," she says.
She is also the reigning winner of the Agra Grow Competition 2022 - Industrial Section.
The Chilli Queen brand is well-loved in Namibia as it represents the heat of the Namib Desert and the Land of the Brave’s cultural diversity. "Being stocked in a multinational supermarket is also its advantage," Vatileni says.
She also recently shipped her very first batch to the United States.
Challenges
At the start of her journey, Vatileni faced the challenge of being turned away and hearing “no” from many retailers when asked to stock her products. However, she honed her skills and developed pitches that would not allow for a negative response.
While she is confident in the knowledge that her brand is built on quality, innovation and work ethic, she remains humble if there are setbacks.
To other entrepreneurs she says: “Don’t get into this if you fear failure or think that the industry is an introduction to overnight success. Hard work and perseverance is what you need.”
She also credits her organised employees, while her team, family and friends are an important support system.
As a final word of advice, she says: "Be intentional when choosing people in your life. Surround yourself with people that love and care for you.”
One day, while Vatileni was hosting a traditional Sunday meal for friends and family, served with her fiery and flavourful sauces, her good friend Frans Kamati suggested she start bottling her sauces and selling them. She was also inspired by the chance to make her own money and being self-reliant.
And so Chilli Queen was born.
“Chilli Queen is a proudly Namibian, woman-owned business that adds value to raw chilli products by creating fresh flavoured chilli sauces - from mild flavours to flavours that will have you jumping out of your seat. We have five different flavours, namely Lemon & Herb, Chilli & Herb, Hot Sauce, Wild Sauce and Chilli & Cream. I perfected them all through trial and error and until I was satisfied.”
While she hopes to expand the Chilli Queen range and export throughout the world, she would like to own at least 5% market share as she strives to employ more people and supply local markets with top of the range chillis.
"This is already in the works, but we will announce more exciting projects when we are ready," she says.
Getting ahead
In 2021, Vatileni won the number one spot in the Future Females Business School Cohort 3 pitch. “This gave me so much confidence as I was up against other amazing and promising woman entrepreneurs," she says.
She is also the reigning winner of the Agra Grow Competition 2022 - Industrial Section.
The Chilli Queen brand is well-loved in Namibia as it represents the heat of the Namib Desert and the Land of the Brave’s cultural diversity. "Being stocked in a multinational supermarket is also its advantage," Vatileni says.
She also recently shipped her very first batch to the United States.
Challenges
At the start of her journey, Vatileni faced the challenge of being turned away and hearing “no” from many retailers when asked to stock her products. However, she honed her skills and developed pitches that would not allow for a negative response.
While she is confident in the knowledge that her brand is built on quality, innovation and work ethic, she remains humble if there are setbacks.
To other entrepreneurs she says: “Don’t get into this if you fear failure or think that the industry is an introduction to overnight success. Hard work and perseverance is what you need.”
She also credits her organised employees, while her team, family and friends are an important support system.
As a final word of advice, she says: "Be intentional when choosing people in your life. Surround yourself with people that love and care for you.”
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Namibian Sun
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