Black Mamba Recently Slithered to the UAE - Here’s How (& Why!)
Great news, ethical foodies and chilliheads - BLACK MAMBA is officially available in the United Arab Emirates! You can now find our Dangerously Tasty products on Amazon, Noon, and straight from the source on our hot new UAE website (coming soon!)
Why the UAE? Super glad you asked.
We've always jokingly said that Black Mamba is about chilli world domination. This is because we want to make the world greener and fairer, but also because we want to become the table sauce of choice around the world.
Where to next? How & why we choose to expand
“With this strategy in mind, we started looking at likely markets to target for our next foray into expansion. First and foremost, we always consider markets that have an appetite for sustainably made products, which is why we initially expanded into European territories, as well as North America,” explains CEO Claudia Castellanos.
“Secondly, we look at countries with cultures that are known for their love of spicy foods, as well as having a yen for novelty. The UAE is a very intriguing market in that sense. We had also been getting quite a few online queries about our products from shoppers in the United Arab Emirates.”
Why the UAE tickled our fancy
The UAE is a multicultural country with a diverse population, which is reflected in the country's food trends. Consumers in the UAE are increasingly looking for authentic and high-quality food experiences, and they are willing to pay a premium for it. The UAE's growing demand for hot sauce has resulted in many artisan brands popping up to deliver the spice kick many on-trend consumers are searching for.
Here are some of the key trends in the UAE hot sauce market that bode well for BLACK MAMBA:
- Demand for authentic hot sauces: Consumers in the UAE are looking for authentic hot sauces that are made with traditional ingredients and methods. BLACK MAMBA is as authentic as it comes.
- Growing popularity of craft hot sauces: Craft hot sauces are becoming increasingly popular in the UAE. These hot sauces are typically made in small batches with high-quality ingredients.
- Increasing demand for mild and medium heat hot sauces: While traditional hot sauces are still popular in the UAE, there is a growing demand for mild and medium heat hot sauces. This is due to the fact that many consumers in the UAE are new to hot sauce and are not used to extremely spicy foods. Happily, our range of hot sauces cater for everyone.
In short, the UAE hot sauce market is a growing and dynamic market. There is a lot of potential for growth, as consumers become more familiar with hot sauce and other Chilli-based condiments, and start to experiment with different flavours and heat levels. Naturally, BLACK MAMBA had to get in on this hot action.
How we are able to make our big moves
“We are very fortunate to be sponsored and supported in our growth by ITC, the International Trade Centre, through the project Alliances for Action,” says Claudia.
The International Trade Centre (ITC) is a joint agency of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN) through the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). It was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Their mission is to promote sustainable and inclusive trade for economic development. It does this by providing technical assistance to businesses and governments in developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs).
Alliances for Action (A4A) is an ITC initiative to establish a network that transforms food systems and advances the Sustainable Development Goals through producer and MSME partnerships that cultivate ethical, climate-smart, sustainable agri-value chains.
“With their support, we are able to go to trade shows overseas.. Based on my curiosity about the UAE as an emerging BLACK MAMBA market, we got support to attend The Speciality Food Festival in Dubai in 2022,” Claudia explains.
The Speciality Food Festival isn’t just the only dedicated gourmet and fine food trade show in the MENA region – it’s also the world’s finest marketplace for the top chefs, restaurants, hoteliers, suppliers, and industry leaders to come together. In short, it is the ultimate one-stop shop for gourmet and fine food professionals,
There was a lot of interest in BLACK MAMBA and Claudia met with Omer Kiyani, who was already very interested in the range of products. He had been to Cape Town previously on holiday, and encountered BLACK MAMBA, immediately intuiting it would be a great fit for the UAE. There were talks back and forth, and when Claudia went to the trade show in November 2022, they were able to meet in person.
This meeting ultimately lead to the decision for BLACK MAMBA to slither to the United Arab Emirates in 2023
“The ITC is open to the companies they support collaborating with local consultants in order for these businesses to understand new territories better, and so we joined forces with Omer and his business Tradeverse, which has since resulted in a great partnership that is allowing us to build a very interesting market presence in the UAE,” Claudia enthuses.
“We are very excited about building our brand in the UAE with Tradeverse. They are very keen on taking BLACK MAMBA to hot new heights in this exciting territory, and we cannot wait to see where our collaboration takes us in future.”