‘All Businesses Are Hard,’ Says Tanzanian Entrepreneur

Key Takeaways

• NovFeed now produces 20 tonnes of fish feed daily.
• Scaling production outpaces existing customer base, creating sales pressure.
• Recruiting skilled talent remains a top operational challenge.
• Orembe emphasizes difficulty is universal across business sizes.
• African agribusiness growth hinges on matching supply with market demand.

Pulse Analysis

The fish feed sector is a linchpin of Tanzania’s aquaculture push, a market projected to grow as regional demand for protein rises. NovFeed, founded by Diana Orembe, has leveraged local raw materials to create a vertically integrated operation that supplies both fish farms and organic fertilizer producers. By reaching a capacity of 20 tonnes per day, the firm positions itself among the continent’s few large‑scale feed manufacturers, a status that attracts attention from agribusiness investors looking for scalable, impact‑driven assets.

However, rapid capacity gains expose a classic growth paradox: production outstripping sales. Orembe admits the hardest part now is matching that output with reliable buyers, especially as older leads may have shifted to competitors. This sales gap forces NovFeed to sharpen its go‑to‑market strategy, deepen relationships with fish farms, and explore export avenues. Simultaneously, the company grapples with talent acquisition, a chronic issue in emerging markets where technical expertise in feed formulation and supply‑chain management remains scarce.

Orembe’s broader lesson—that “all businesses are hard”—resonates across Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape. It underscores that scaling requires more than capital; it demands robust distribution networks, skilled human capital, and adaptive leadership. For investors and policymakers, the NovFeed case illustrates the need for ecosystem support—training programs, market intelligence, and financing structures—that can bridge the gap between production capacity and market demand, ultimately unlocking the continent’s agrifood potential.