Munira Jauad attended the AgriBusiness Forum 2011, held in South Africa.  We contacted her to learn more about her successful business and the benefits of attending EMRC Forums.  Read full interview below.

EMRC: Please give us some background information of Rumu: How and when was it set up? What turn over does it have and what is the target market and objective of the company?

Munira Jauad: Rumu is a family run business based in Guinea Bissau and established in 1996. We had a turnover of more than US$1 million between 1996 and 1998 thanks to the export of large quantities of cashew nuts. 

The civil war had a disastrous (1998-1999) affect on the company – with most of it being looted.

Since the end of the civil war, we have been able to re-establish the business and have been working mainly with Indian entrepreneurs.  From 2003 until present days we have been able to finance our company as a consequence of the return of the banking sector to the country.

From 2006-2011, I was appointed Ambassador of Guinea-Bissau to Gambia so I put my business career on the back burner. Since 2011 we recommenced our activities focusing on the export of mangoes and cashew nuts, as the production of these kinds of crops are now supported by some development programs. We want to focus our exports to the European and American consumers.

EMRC: Why did you choose the high-end market as a target market?

MJ:  We want to position ourselves in these markets because they are traditional consumers of our products. Unfortunately, the purchasing power in the African continent does not allow consumers to access such goods.

Manufacturers of chocolate, cereals, ice-creams are big importers of cashew, and our product is competitive compared to other producing countries. We produce more than 200 kernels / kg per year and our season is longer.  

There is also a geographic location that plays in our favor, as Guinea Bissau is located just 3h.30m from Europe.

EMRC: How important is it for companies to attend EMRC forums? What are the benefits?

MJ:  It's great to participate in such international events as it allows us to establish contacts with institutions and entrepreneurs. Since my participation in the last AgriBusiness Forum in Johannesburg I have been in contact with an English importer and now I am waiting for him to visit Guinea Bissau.

However, I believe it is not up to an entrepreneur to risk his money in the participation and travel to an event of this size, and this is why I would like to tell the international institutions that we need to have a fund that allows us to participate in international business events more often.

EMRC: What improvements, if any, have you seen in Guinea Bissau’s business environment to ensure business growth for companies?

MJ: We have noticed substantial improvements in terms of political stability, since the military and the politicians have been speaking with one voice in 2009.  This can be seen by the union of the nation after the death of our former President, H.E. Mr. Malam Bacai Sanha.

This factor gives confidence to the business sector as well as to institutions such as the World Bank, which together can help to the development of the country.

Fortunately, several international institutions have shifted to Guinea Bissau in order to make funds available to enable us to develop and direct our business long-term.

EMRC: What hurdles do you face as an African business focusing on exports to the EU?

MJ: The major obstacle we face is the certification of products. However, the EU funded the construction of a laboratory that will allow us to do this. The second hurdle we face is the lack of funding.

EMRC: What advice would you give to your fellow SME representatives in Guinea Bissau?

MJ:  My advice to entrepreneurs in Guinea Bissau is to invest in processing our products. We must work together so that together we can refuse the export of raw materials and thus promote the creation of small and medium enterprises that can reduce high unemployment in Guinea Bissau. I would also like to warn Guinean businessmen to be responsible in managing their businesses.

EMRC: What predictions do you have your company in the next 5 years and the state of the country’s business environment?

MJ: I am very optimistic. Right now I have a company with a storage capacity of 3000 tons and in the future we want to increase this capacity to 6000 tones.

Our ambition for the next 5 years is to export 5000 tons of cashew nuts and dried mango per year and keep a ton for processing.