Namaloe Vera, a local manufacturer of natural aloe products founded by entrepreneur Risto Ashikoto, is making progress in terms of market penetration which has resulted in an increase of its products on shelves country-wide. The products are made from natural ingredients with no added chemicals or preservatives.
Aloe is well known as a protector against toxins, it stimulates hair growth, it helps aid in better sleep, is a herbal laxative, rejuvenates skin cells, help with high blood pressure, liver infections, and treats certain skin conditions.
“As most of the products only come from South Africa, we had the difficulty of receiving stock during the Covid-19 pandemic when borders had to close down, and it affected our country badly. That is when we decided to produce own local products known as Namaloe Vera,” said Ashikoto.
Currently, the products can be found at the Risto Trading Enterprises CC workshop in Goreangab Dam in Windhoek as well as at Funky Lab in different towns.
“Currently, we have sales agents in almost all 14 regions in Namibia, and mostly our active markets are from towns like Oshakati, Ondangwa, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, and Luderitz,” Ashikoto pointed out.
Namaloe Vera has also produced a gel that helps with anti-aging, acne and speeds up the healing of wounds and recently introduced lotions used for dry skin. Another popular product is Aloe Vera mixed with coconut or olive oil that helps to soften the skin and moisturize the hair, preventing breakage, rejuvenating aged cells, and cleansing the blood.
Apart from that, they also offer different aloe powders used either by animals or people. For animals the powder can be added to their drinking water as it is rich in vitamins, while people can add a teaspoon to their food or drink.
More products also include a face and body scrub, body wash, and air masks.
Ashikoto makes his products from Aloe Vera gel or Aloe Vera powder and mixes it with coconut or olive oil, avocado, carrots, milk butter, lemon, honey, and other natural ingredients.
During the next five years, Ashikoto sees himself improving the company’s growth and reaching international standards. He continued that his employees are expected to increase from two to more than 100 and expects to introduce more sales agents and brand ambassadors.
A challenge faced by Ashikoto is finding a farm to start producing his own aloe, as it is expensive to buy it from farmers.
Namaloe Vera Products is a subsidiary of Risto Trading Enterprises cc, a company founded by Ashikoto in 2012.