Ester Mbathera
Martha Daniels, known as Nana, grew up in the Soweto residential area of Windhoek and has a passion for cooking.
She is a single mother of four children who also owns Nana’s Homemade Chilli Sauce.
“My love for cooking began at a young age,” Nana recalls.
Over time, she started blending her own chilli sauces and incorporating them into her dishes.
Despite not being a chilli eater herself, she enjoyed the aroma and flavour of her creations.
For years, her close friends and family encouraged her to sell her chilli sauce, but she didn’t feel ready.
“In 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown in Namibia, I had a lot of time on my hands. I decided to test the market by blending my chilli sauces and serving them with every meal I sold. To my surprise, family, friends, and visitors began ordering extra batches for home delivery, demonstrating my innate talent to the Namibian nation, and thus Nana’s chilli sauce was born,” she said.
Since childhood, Nana has known Meme Sarah Elago, a local businesswoman who owned a farm and sold fruits and vegetables to the community.
Nana contacted her and began sourcing fresh and dried chillies from her farm.
“Meme Sarah has been a prominent businesswoman in my life since childhood,” she said.
Dried Peri-Peri peppers, olive oil, and secret ingredients combine to make Nana’s chilli sauce.
The journey hasn’t been without its challenges.
Securing containers in Windhoek can be difficult, as many people use the 250-ml containers Nana prefers.
“There are a lot of people who use the 250ml containers. I mostly get them from Westpack or Plastilon, and if they run out, I get some from Otjiwarongo Plastilon,” she notes.
Nana’s biggest clients are mostly restaurant owners and small-scale vendors. She even has a monthly order from a chef.
“Some of my clients are community members at large, especially now that it’s winter. People said they enjoy the sauce for their potjie on Sunday sessions,” she said.
Nana continues to grow her business, but her focus remains on quality and her community.
“My journey from a passionate cook to a successful entrepreneur is ongoing,” she said, emphasising her commitment to her craft and her customers.
