By Phesheya Mkhonta
Hi David. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with us. Can you please tell us a bit about yourself and your business background?
I first want to express my gratitude for this interview and for being able to promote our business on your amazing platform. I was born and raised in South Africa and graduated from the University of Stellenbosch with a BCom majoring in Business Management and Financial Accounting. After numerous work experiences and business ventures in South Africa, Explorers Craft was established in Eswatini at the end of 2018. However, I only moved to the Kingdom full-time in 2019.
How did you get into the spirits-distilling world?
We initially started by producing a low-cost wine (Barril de Casa). After 18 months, we identified the demand and opportunity to launch a spirit line. We wanted to differentiate ourselves from the wine production line, and thus, Explorers Craft Spirits was born. We started with Vodka, Gin, and Rum and have since launched a variety of lines, including Sambuca and Carbonation lines.
Please tell us more about Explorers Craft Spirits as a business.
Explorers Craft is a spirit producer. We also have several products in our basket such as Gin, Rum, Vodka, Sambuca, and White Rum as well as carbonated products like Tonic Water, Soda Water, Dry Lemon, and a Pre-mixed Gin.
Can you clarify the difference between Explorers Craft Spirits and Casa de Vino?
Casa de Vino (PTY) LTD is the original company name. Our initial plan was to establish the brand as a low-cost wine for the Mozambican market. As the business grew, we now had two main brands under the company: Barril de Casa and Explores Craft Spirits.
What makes Explorers Craft Spirits unique to Eswatini and the world?
We aim to provide and produce a high-quality product at a competitive market price. We want to compete with major brands as a true African producer of wines and craft spirits and provide the best alternative to the imported overseas lines.
By general definition, craft spirits are handcrafted in a distillery using locally sourced ingredients and materials. Does this definition hold for you?
Yes, this holds very true for us. All our products and 95% of the raw materials are sourced locally. The Gin that we produce is a London Dry Gin. A London Dry Gin is a style of gin that is produced in accordance with certain specifications set by the British government. These specifications dictate that it must be made with juniper as its predominant flavor and cannot contain any added sugar.
I can imagine this business to be a very capital-intensive undertaking, and also one that requires a high level of skill and passion for what you do. What are some of the challenges you typically run into in producing your spirits and getting them to the world?
Yes, this is true because, on top of the capital constraints we have as a small family business, there has also been a lot of trial and error to get where we are today. Another challenge we face is also having to work following the relevant authorities as we are producing an excisable product.
What have been your biggest successes to date?
Our first major success was when we were awarded a Gold Award for Taste at the World Gin Awards in 2022, as well as the Best Gin from Eswatini. We also won a Gold Award for our Rum at the South African Rum Awards in 2021. We recently won a Silver Award at the World Gin Awards in 2023 for our color-changing limited-batch Gin. We have also been listed at various retail outlets across the country which is no easy feat. We cannot take for granted the overwhelmingly positive reaction we have received from the public at major events such as the MTN Bushfire Festival and the Standard Bank Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival.
You recently attended an International Food Trade Show in Taiwan. Can you tell us more about that experience?
We were blessed to be given the opportunity to exhibit in Taiwan at the International Food Trade Fair thanks to EIPA (Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority) as well as their Taiwanese counterpart (TAITRA). This trip allowed us a platform to show our products to a variety of serious buyers from all around the world. As a result, we are now working on deals to export our products to six different countries.
What do the next five years hold for Explorers Craft Spirits?
We hope to become a market leader within Africa for spirits. With the Inter Africa Free Trade (African Continental Free Trade Area – AfCFTA) coming into effect and being online soon, we hope to take full advantage of this initiative to get our products into as many African countries as possible, as well as continuously exploring the overseas market.
What advice would you give to those who aspire to enter your industry?
Don’t wait to start hoping it will be perfect the first time, rather start and continuously work towards perfection (even though sometimes it might never be perfect) as long as you continuously aim at improving your product.
Lastly, what is your drink of choice after a long day at work?
For me, it has to be our classic Rum and Coke (on a hot day with lots of ice), which slides down like a dream.
Thank you for your time, David.
You are most welcome.