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Health For Mzansi

Loyiso taps into liquid gold of extra virgin olive oil

by Vateka Halile
3rd June 2022
in Conversations
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
Loyiso Manga is the proud founder of Ubuntu Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a brand that seeks to inspire healthy living. Photo: Supplied/Health For Mzansi

Loyiso Manga is the proud founder of Ubuntu Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a brand that seeks to inspire healthy living. Photo: Supplied/Health For Mzansi

The cooking and salad oil shelves in the supermarket can be confusing and downright intimidating. Extra virgin olive oil has become one of the oils that is highly recommended because of its health benefits, and how it assists in the prevention of illnesses.

Noting its benefits, Eastern Cape born Loyiso Manga made it his business, creating a boutique olive oil brand he calls Ubuntu Extra Virgin Olive Oil. “It was only when I started doing research on olive oil that I became attracted to it because of the health benefits.”

Loyiso Manga is the founder of Ubuntu Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Photo: Supplied/Health For Mzansi

Business inspired by an elder

Manga spent his childhood in Erhini (in Makhanda, formerly known Grahamstown), in the Eastern Cape. He says that he came from a household where everyone, notably his grandmother, had an enthusiasm for farming, which sparked his interest in both farming and business while he was growing up.

“Growing up, my grandmother would make us assist with the business. She would go from station to station in order to sell goods such as meat, beans, and vegetables during the period when the social grant pension was still in effect in the villages,” he says.

“Because of this, I was brought up with the expectation that we would sell our goods, and the environment in which I was brought up shaped me to have a strong interest in farming and business.”

Manga earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Helderberg College in Somerset West. Following that, he worked for numerous firms up to the point when his entrepreneurial spirit erupted, he says. This led him to establish his business.

“I was looking for a certain market in agriculture, so I went to a field and spoke with the farmer there. He told me about the olives he had. From that point on, I instantly connected with some of the health advantages olive oil offers, such as a decrease in high blood pressure. As a result, the Ubuntu brand was formed in 2019.”

Start your day with a spoonful

Olive oil has long been known as one of the healthier oils. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, some of its beneficial properties include its healthy, *monounsaturated fat content and its supply of *polyphenols, which are antioxidants that may prevent heart disease and stroke and lower blood pressure.

Manga tells Health For Mzansi that olive oil is beneficial for heart conditions, cancer, immune boosting, dry skin, and that drinking a spoonful of it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning is highly recommended.

“There are people who came to get Ubuntu extra virgin oil who were dealing with high blood pressure and diabetes, but the results, as of today, are wonderful.”

He adds that olive oil is versatile, from salad dressings to hair food.

“Apply some extra virgin oil to your hair, particularly if your hair is damaged from hair styles or maybe damaged from hair treatments. Extra virgin olive oil repairs that.

“[You can] add it to salads, use it as a salad dressing, body lotion, hair food, and of course for baking, dipping, roasting, marinating and grilling. It can even function as a substitute for butter in bread,” he says.

“I use some of it when I take a bath, and I also use it as my body lotion. As a result, my skin is silky smooth and it has a healthy sheen.”

Extra virgin olive oil has plenty of health benefits. Photo: Supplied/Health For Mzansi

Keep this in mind

“The fact that extra virgin olive oil is completely unfiltered is something that everyone should be aware of. As a result, it is essential that it be kept in a dry and cold location; failure to do so may result in the flavour, fragrance, and consistency of your olive oil deteriorating,” he says.

Price is a critical factor when choosing an olive oil for your kitchen, and, like wine, what you pay for is what you get.

“Another thing is that extra olive oil; as much as it is costly, a 500 ml bottle may be enough for two people for the whole month.”

Manga says that he is focusing hard on acquiring funding to achieve his vision. It’s just a matter of time until Ubuntu Extra Virgin Olive Oil makes its way onto the shelves of major supermarket chains.

Health For Mzansi: Words of the day

*Polyphenols: According to WebMD, Polyphenols are micronutrients that occur in plants.

*Monounsaturated fat: Monounsaturated fats are simply fat molecules that have one unsaturated carbon bond in the molecule, this is also called a double bond. 

ALSO READ: Pick the perfect South African olive and get cooking

Tags: health benefitsHeart healtholive oil
Vateka Halile

Vateka Halile

Vateka Halile grew up in rural areas of Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape. She was raised in a traditional family setting and found writing to be a source of comfort and escape. Vateka participated in an online citizen journalism course through Food For Mzansi, and her passion for health and medicine-related stories was born. Her dedication to community work and love for social justice and solidarity spaces is evident in her quality time with the community when she isn't working.

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HIV and initiation: Supporting boys through cultural rites Security fails as gangs target Eastern Cape clinics Dr Makanya blends spiritual healing with art therapy Canola oil: A heart-healthy choice for your kitchen No more pain! Tackle the torment of toothaches How smoking causes harmful bacteria in your mouth Discover delicious, healthy dishes that will make your heart sing Rediscover the joy of creamy pap with chicken livers