ACETNews
Entrepreneur, actress and filmmaker Mbong Sule is expanding her Southern Girl brand into honey processing and packaging, sourcing raw honey from Obudu in Cross River State for consumers within and beyond the region.
Sule disclosed this during an interview with journalists in Lagos, explaining that the venture was driven by her desire to add value to locally sourced resources and create opportunities within the agricultural value chain.
Through Southern Girl Co. Ltd., she is developing a range of honey products, including original honey, ginger-infused honey, Madagascar vanilla-infused honey and lemon-ginger honey.
According to Sule, while Cross River is widely recognised for its tourism assets and natural attractions, the state also has significant agricultural resources that can be developed into commercially viable products.
“I didn’t just want it to be another jar of honey on the shelf,” she said, explaining that she conducted a market survey before introducing the different variants.
The products were recently presented to consumers at the African Travel Market Festival, where Southern Girl Co. offered free tasting of the different honey variants.
Sule said the response from consumers showed strong interest, with participants asking about the origin of the honey, comparing the flavours and returning to taste the different variants.
She said the experience demonstrated how products sourced from Cross River could be processed, packaged and taken to markets beyond the state.
The honey venture is part of Sule’s wider business interests, which increasingly focus on food, culture and indigenous products.
Through Southern Girl Kitchen, she promotes traditional dishes from Akwa Ibom and Cross River, including Ekpang Nkukwo, Afia Efere Ebot, Editan Soup, Afang Soup and Edikaikong.
She also partners with Geraldine Ito on the Oriki Experience, which brings together African food, culture, music, fashion and heritage.
For Sule, the ventures provide avenues for keeping indigenous culture relevant while creating commercial opportunities around local resources and traditions.
Her transition from entertainment into food, hospitality and indigenous products therefore extends the storytelling she has pursued throughout her career — this time through food, cultural experiences and products sourced from Southern Nigeria.
