By Lethukuthula Zulu
An innovative entrepreneur from Mzingazi Agri-Village in Richards Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal has turned a common garden vegetable into a unique business opportunity by making wine from beetroot.
Abongile Kholeka Mdubeki (39) is the founder of Kholie Care, an enterprise established in 2023. Her signature product, Kholie Beetroot Wine, is a naturally handmade specialty product capturing local attention.
Trained by the Department of Agriculture as an agri-processor, Mdubeki says she was drawn to beetroot wine because of its health benefits.
“Beetroot wine helps with a lot of things like BP high blood pressure, tiredness, digestive and depression. Beetroot wine is gold for everyone including elderly people,” she says.
As a wholly black-owned and woman-founded venture, Mdubeki’s business highlights the untapped potential of local agricultural innovation.
However, like many rural entrepreneurs, funding remains a major challenge.
“I am struggling to get funding although I have been using my wine for a long time. Now I want to see my beetroot wine succeed because I have never seen beetroot wine in stores, which means mine will be the first. If I can get funding, my beetroot wine can be sold in the biggest stores,” Mdubeki says.
Beyond wine, Mdubeki also manufactures skincare products and has built a network of 25 distributors.
“I am also into skincare products and I have 25 distributors, but I am very interested in beetroot wine,” she says.
Her vision is to see her product on shelves of major retail stores across the country and to create new opportunities for locally produced goods.
Mdubeki will showcase her products at the upcoming Rural Industrialisation Summit in Port Durnford, KwaZulu-Natal. Hosted by the Bhekithembi Enterprise Development NPC, the summit runs from 6 to 8 October 2026 at the Port Durnford community hall.
She says the summit will give her a platform to introduce her business to a wider audience.
“I hope to get as many people as possible and I will be able to explain what Kholie Care assists with,” she says.
The summit aims to empower over 250 rural entrepreneurs with business development insights, growth strategies, and valuable networking opportunities. 50 entrepreneurs will receive a free nine-month business development programme.
Nana Zulu, Managing Director of Bhekithembi Enterprise Development, says the purpose is to shift the role of rural communities in the economy.
“The central message is clear: rural communities should not only consume products and services, they should manufacture, build, supply, trade, and own businesses that contribute meaningfully to the economy,” says Zulu.
