‘Tsunami’ hot sauce takes Lesotho by storm

Khotso Morabaki, a 43-year old Mosotho man from Ha Foso, has been making waves since 2020 with his unique hot sauce business, ‘Tsunami’, now a popular condiment sold across Lesotho.

Inspired by food preservation techniques, Morabaki cultivates various crops and herbs, which he dries or bottles.

“My inspiration comes from food preservation; I grow a lot of different crops together with herbs, so I dry veggies, bottle some, and dry the herbs as well,” he says.

Morabaki cultivates different types of chillies in his garden, which he then cooks to create diverse sauce flavours, including one made from ripe tomatoes.

‘Tsunami’ is not just a sauce, it also offers medicinal benefits due to the inclusion of beneficial herbs.

Many customers praise its positive effects on their skin, Morabaki prides.

Despite his success, Morabaki faces challenges, such as the high cost of raw chillies when his personal supply runs out, forcing him to purchase from fruit and vegetable stores.

He also mentioned issues with customers preferring credit, which sometimes results in bad debts.

Morabaki is committed to continuous improvement, largely relying on customer feedback to refine his products and introduce new ones. His vision for Tsunami products is ambitious, he aims for global reach and hopes to establish a large factory.

This expansion, he believes, would create employment opportunities for many Basotho youth, addressing the current unemployment crisis, provided he secures investment or sufficient capital for equipment.

He also wishes to supply his products to all businesses, including restaurants, across the country.

The local market has responded positively to ‘Tsunami’, with the sauce gaining popularity in many households.

Morabaki says he has received tremendous support from family, friends, and even through social media engagement.