Sweetkiwi became part of the DC food ecosystem in 2018 after partnering with Union Kitchen to create their new product line as a Union Kitchen accelerator member. Sweetkiwi is a clean label brand that makes the best tasting frozen yogurt using milk sourced from grass-fed cows and real ingredients. Their passion for creating healthy desserts began in 2011 when founded Ehime Eigbe-Akindele founded Sweetkiwi in Nigeria with the aim of creating a clean label frozen yogurt brand. Sweetkiwi is a household name in the Nigerian market and pioneers of frozen yogurt in the West African market. The brand launched 3 stores in Lagos and has collaborated with major brands such as Guinness, Nestle, Moet & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, Hennessy to create unique flavors.
Speaking of the win “ Myself and my team are overwhelmed by all the love we have received since we announced our launch and partnerships with Whole Foods USA, it feels like Nigeria won the World Cup, this win is for us all. As a female founder, I have seen further because I stand on the shoulders of giants” – Ehime Eigbe – Akindele.
With this launch, Sweetkiwi continues to expand its business in North America, they are currently in Union Kitchen grocery stores, Yes Organic Market, Streets Market, Dawson’s Market and several other grocery stores in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area. With the partnership with Rainforest, Sweetkiwi is looking to expand throughout the East coast. Sweetkiwi was named one of the 100 most innovative companies in Nigeria in 2017 and 2018. Nigeria to the World!
About Sweet Kiwi
Sweetkiwi is the premier one-stop-shop for delicious premium healthy frozen yogurt. Their slogan ‘Healthy Never Tasted Better!’ encompasses all that they represent. The brand is founded on a mission to create healthier desserts using only the best, natural ingredients and give consumers the option to make healthier choices.
SweetKiwi is female-founded by Ehime Eigbe- Akindele. Ehime is a dairy explorer, entrepreneur and a pioneer of frozen yogurt in the African market. She started making her own frozen yogurt when she realized most available brands weren’t as healthy as they claimed and created her clean-label recipe which brought about the birth of Sweetkiwi in 2011. The brand specialises Frozen Yogurt, Smoothies, Parfaits, and Waffles and more.
SweetKiwi Is social
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sweetkiwiyogurt/
https://www.instagram.com/sweetkiwiusa/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sweetkiwiusa/
Twitter https://twitter.com/sweetkiwiyogurt
Linked in https://www.linkedin.com/company/sweetkiwi-frozen-yogurt
Website https://www.sweetkiwi.com/
We are a refreshingly light, low-fat and genuinely healthy yogurt brand founded in 2011. Our yogurt is made fresh daily with natural strained yogurt and carefully whipped for your pleasure so you can enjoy clean, wholesome desserts without feeling any pangs of guilt!
We would be treating our lovely customers and guests to a wide variety of new and unusual flavors like the “agbalumo” which is back in the swirl and made with real, cold press agbalumo (udara/udala) sourced locally. At Sweet Kiwi, real ingredients is all the difference.
Join us by registering in the Eventbrite link https://www.eventbrite.com/o/sweet-kiwi-18646001709
Time: 1pm – 4pm
Sweet Kiwi indulged a couple of highly esteemed Lagos based bloggers by giving them a treat with new variety of yogurt flavours on the 28th of February, 2018 at the Lekki store.
Sweet Kiwi, the premier one stop shop for delicious premium healthy frozen yogurt indulged bloggers at their Lekki store with new variety of flavours such as New original tart, T’challa, Black Panther, Agbalumo and so many others. Every blogger enjoyed the Tasters session as they got to try out newly introduced flavours of freshly made, rich and creamy yogurt. They also got to learn more about the recipes used and processes involved in the making of yoghurts from Ehime Eigbe Akindele, the Founder of Sweet Kiwi.
The most tried out yogurt flavour was T’challa and Black Panther. This flavours contain activated charcoal, a potent natural treatment used to trap and flush out toxins and chemicals in the body. The yellow of Lagos also created her own mix that has a 20% discount code. ‘Healthy Never Tasted Better indeed, all bloggers present confessed!’
Platforms that supported Sweet Kiwi at this event were: Kamdora, Genevieve, Pulse, Exquisite magazine, Ynaija, Lost in Lagos, Yellow of Lagos, Living in Lekki, Blogger point, Her network online, TW Magazine and Schick Magazine.
Afrocurlitan
Deola Omegemura and Coco
Elizabeth Osho
Hafymo, Black Vain boy
Nkem Onwudiwe
Ehime Akindele – Founder of Sweet Kiwi
Follow Sweet Kiwi on social media
Instagram: @sweetkiwiyogurt
Facebook: Sweetkiwi
Twitter: @sweetkiwie
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Guests in attendance included: Toyosi Etim Effiong, Stephanie Coker, Kehinde Smith, Taje Prest, Toju Foyeh, Nnenna Okoye, Timini Egbuson, Tiffany and Stephany (TWINS), Abimbola Craig, Afua Osei, Idia Aisien, Tosin Etim Effiong and so many others came in.
National Froyo Day was celebrated on Tuesday, February 6th at all Sweet Kiwi locations. Ehime Eigbe Akindele, the founder of Sweet Kiwi Yoghurt used the day as an opportunity to celebrate 7 years of her entrepreneurial journey and nurturing her brilliant idea of a healthy treat being available right her sin
The day started off on a very cheerful note with the school; Starfield Montessori school, influencers and regular customers experienced a whole new world at Sweet Kiwi as they tried new and superb flavours of FroYos for free! It was even a bigger and better experience for the guests as they got served by their celebrity crushes. The Influencers and celebrities themselves could not get a hang of the day as they enjoyed creating their own mix and recipes which will be available at all Sweet Kiwi locations for a month. Timini named his own mix “Taste Timini”, Idia named hers Naughty
Sweet Kiwi did not leave out the top notch media houses and influencers that couldn’t make it down to any of the stores in Lagos as special deliveries were made all around Lagos to platforms such as Belle Naija, Pulse Nigeria, Genevieve Magazine, Kamdora, Media Room Hub, Fomo Lagos, Diydose, Akin Faminu, Sisi Yemmie, and many more.
Sweet Kiwi yoghurt is social!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @sweetkiwiyogurt
You can also check out their website by following this link http://sweetkiwiyogurt.com
Welcome to Sweet Kiwi
Ehime Eigbe Akindele – Founder Sweet Kiwi
Abimbola Craig
Abimbola Craig and Nowe Isibor
Idia Aisien
Idia Aisien
Idia, Taje, Timini and Toyosi
Kehinde Smith
Nnenna Okoye
Sweet Kiwi nurses, Nowe Isibor, Ehime and Abimbola Craig
Taje Prest
Taje Prest, Akin Mariano Toyosi Ettim Effiong
Timini
Timini and Toju Foyeh
Toju Foyeh
Toyosi and Adeysoile
Toyosi Ettim Effiong
Exciting news to brighten your day. Sweet Kiwi will be having a taster’s session for bloggers and it would be awesome if you could join us. We have a new variety of yummy flavours such as; Red velvet cupcake, Black Panther, Hazel nut and many more, specially designed to delight your taste buds.
Join us for this healthy treat!
Date: 28th February, 2018
Venue: Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase I, Lekki
Time: 12pm
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Yippee!!! It’s International FroYo Day tomorrow!!!
Sweet Kiwi can’t wait to delight your taste buds with some of their exciting flavors in celebration of the International FroYo Day.
Ehime Akindele, the founder of Sweet Kiwi Yoghurt is also using the opportunity to celebrate 5 years of her entrepreneurial journey, and what better way to make a mark than treating you (and some of your team members) to an exciting Sweet Kiwi experience on 6th February, 2018.
Sweetkiwi is a soft, self-serve frozen yogurt bar which sells premium frozen yogurt in over 100 flavors. Sweetkiwi frozen yogurt was birthed with the intent of introducing a healthier alternative to the calorie filled Ice- cream.
Every cup is an unforgettable experience!
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Ehime Akindele
Ehime Akindele the owner of Sweet Kiwi Frozen Yogurt has been invited as a Delegate – Entrepreneur to Hyderabad in India for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit between the 28th – 30th of November, 2017.
The United States of America and the Republic of India announced that the eighth annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit will be taking place in Hyderabad, India on 28-30 November, 2017.
Global Entrepreneurship Submit is a preeminent annual entrepreneurship gathering that convenes emerging entrepreneurs, investors and supporters from around the world. This year’s Summit will be such an amazing one because its highlight is on the theme Women First, Prosperity for All and the President of America, Trump would also be around to inspire the attendees.
The summit seeks to support women entrepreneurs and foster economic growth globally through two and a half days of networking, mentoring, and workshops. The summit also seeks to empower entrepreneurs, encourage them to pitch their ideas, build partnerships, secure funding, innovate, find their target customers and most importantly creating
]]>The key question most people will have is “how do I start off”?
- Create a strategy
This first step is very important. Without a strategy there is no goal and without a goal there’s a high chance of failure. Set out the things you want to achieve from this launch party and how exactly you want to achieve them.
- Set goals
Your main goal for the event should be to introduce people to your products and services in a unique way and in the long run make sales or win business. Another goal could be introducing your products/services to new clientele. Plan key activations to make yourself stand out, have product testers available, etc.
- Identify your audience
Every business should have a target market. You need the right people to attend in order for this launch party to make sense and for you to make an impact. It is these people that will become your returning clients and brand ambassadors after they have tested or experienced your products/services (And of course are satisfied).
- Source media
What is the point of having a launch party that nobody knows about? You need to connect with key media houses involved in order for your message to be spread to the right audience. Pulse.ng is usually a good one to connect with as they cut across every target market. From business to fashion to music to food, they’ve got you.
- Invite guests
What’s an event without its distinguished guests? Make sure you invite influencers in your niche to your event, if they like your stuff, they will be automatic ambassadors. If influencers like what you’re offering, you will have free advertising – an easy way to get new customers.
- Provide samples of your products/service at the event
I mean, why not? What’s the point of coming to a launch party and we can’t see your products or experience the services you offer? Give people something to take home, something to remember.
- Collect data
Get the email addresses and phone numbers of everyone who attends your event. You might want to send an announcement of new products/services or invite them to your next event.
- Thank your guests for attending
You should never skip this step. People always need to feel important. A little thank you can go a long way. Always appreciate people for taking time out to come and support you.
Bonus step – If you don’t want to go through the hassle of doing all these things, hire a PR person/company. Notice I said PR company and not Event planner.
The average event planner will only plan your event, however a PR person/company will invite the right people to your event as well as plan. They not only invite, they will create all the buzz for your event. If you’re a start-up, you definitely need this!
You could also hire both. Most people do, so each party can focus on their key strengths.
Here are some of our most recent launch parties:
HVS Beauty Debuts Pop Up Beauty Concept Event Make Up, Music & Moscato In Lagos, NG
Written by Towsyn Omowole
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In 2009 whenEhime Eigbe Akindele visited Nigeria on holiday from the US, she kept asking for where to buy Frozen Yoghurt and nobody could give her an answer. That motivated her to quit she job at Citi Group, in Texas, USA and come back to Nigeria to establish Sweet Kiwi. Five years after, Sweet Kiwi Frozen Yoghurt is strategically branded as the go-toplace for frozen yoghurt in Lagos, Nigeria.
A Goldman Sachs 10, 000 Women scholar and a public speaker, Ehime holds a degree in Business Information Technology and International Studies from London Metropolitan University and completed Entrepreneur Management programme at the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan African University, Lagos. She has also received certifications in restaurant management and dessert manufacturing. In this interview with Guardian Woman, she discusses plans for her business among other things.
You left your job with the Citigroup in the US to set up Sweet Kiwi in Nigeria? What prompted the decision?
I saw a gap/ opportunity in the Nigerian market as there were no frozen yoghurt stores at the time in the country and decided to take a chance by starting my own frozen yoghurt brand in Nigeria.
Why yoghurt as a choice of business? Could you have invested in another business?
I fell in love with the whole concept of frozen yoghurt, because I love dessert and this was a healthy way to have dessert without counting calories and worrying about the impact on your weight or cholesterol level.
How do you source materials for your products? Does the forex crisis impact your overhead?
The forex crisis has greatly destabilised out business. We use real yoghurt made in Nigeria to make our frozen yoghurt however the forex crisis impacts everyone as little is manufactured in Nigeria. Even items made in Nigeria have increased greatly in price, locally grown fruit as well. We get price increase notices almost monthly. We also source the majority of our other supplies abroad as they are not produced in Nigeria. Our overheads have increased greatly, it is unfortunate that the government refuses to provide forex to ensure the survival of small businesses.
What were the initial challenges you had to contend with transitioning from being an employee to being an employer of about 30 persons?
I would say the first one understood the environment I was doing business in was the first challenge. Understanding the mindset and employee culture was also another challenge. I had to grow into the role, learnt from a lot of experiences both good and bad. Took a few courses, read a lot of books. I am continuously evolving as an employer and the experiences help set the tone for our employment policies.
Staffing poses one of the major problems for niche start-ups. How easy was it for you to get 30 employees to share your vision for Sweet Kiwi?
It is not an easy task but I tried to do my best to inspire my employees and get them to imbibe the company culture. One of the ways of doing that is by setting the best example for them to live up to in the way I carry out my own duties. Continuous training and great work life balance also help.
The Economic recession has impacted people’s purchasing power. How has this impacted on your earnings as a business?
Like everyone else we have felt the impact of the recession and the decline in purchasing power. We are hopeful that things would turn around but in the meantime, I try to minimise the negative effects and maximise the positives. Every situation is a learning experience and 2016 has been a great lecturer in the art of running lean operations.
How are you dealing with these/this impact(s)?
We have been focused on a strategy to stay in the industry and not just stay but flourish in these difficult times. Part of that is running lean operations like I said earlier, we are also trying to innovate in the space to combat the effects of the recession.
Are there plans to take your business out of Lagos to other Nigerian states?
Yes, we are looking to kickstart our franchise program to grow our brand into other parts of Nigeria and the rest of Africa.
Any regrets dumping your paid job for entrepreneurship?
I would not use the word ‘Dump’ but yes I have no regrets.
Who is Ehime Eigbe Akindele?
I am a simple, goal oriented woman who loves music and strives for perfection in all that I do.
See Article on The Guardian
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