He started out as a mobile wine vendor in and around Kigali, hopping onto the fastest means with clients’ orders of local and imported wines and spirits. That was 2009. Today, Theo Mungaliho is the founder and Director of Tac Horse Group Ltd, and is better known to most of his clients as Mr Wine. In January, he decided to spread his business wings, venturing into supplying fresh food to hotels and restaurants Moses Opobo caught up with him… Tells us about Tac Horse Group Ltd Tac Horse Group was the result of three individuals coming together –it was I and two of my friends who were both final year university students at university. The Tac stands for our first names; Theo, Afro, and Claude. After some time they sold their shares and moved on, while I stayed. How did you get into the wine business? I have been in this business for five years now. In 2008, after completing high school, I found myself jobless and staying with my parents who were very poor. After six months, I approached Eagle Mark Investments, the appointed Kenya Wine Agency distributor in Kigali for a casual job. I was taken on as a freelance marketer in January of that year. How do you market your business? I do marketing where the big companies can’t reach. I go to the smallest bars, boutiques and shops. I also go to hotels. For hotels, I do consultancy on what wines to stock for their target market. You recently ventured into supply of food to restaurants. Why? Since I had already been working with restaurants and hotels, I decided to add fresh food and fruits on the list. It was all about thinking big, like the government is ever saying. I supply fresh food from the village. I bring it straight from the village. I signed a contract with a few local cooperatives who supply me, so there is no need to be physically there to pick the food. I buy the bananas from Rwamagana, my ancestral home, Irish potatoes from Kinigi, and fish from lake Muhazi. The items that are on high demand are bananas, Irish potatoes from Kinigi, rice, peas, and beans. Most of my clients are restaurants and hotels that make local buffet. They are the same restaurants and hotels that I supply with wines and spirits. We also blend fresh fruits without water and preservatives, and supply to Events organizers and to restaurants. As a supplier of fresh foods, I can say that it’s not been a very easy year so far, because of the weather. There has been little rain, leading to low yields, especially for the kind of foods we deal in. prices have been high, forcing most hotels and restaurants to cut down on their budget.
