São Paulo – The açaí brand Sambazon entered the Egyptian market this year. In partnership with the premium supermarket chain Gourmet Egypt, the product is being distributed both in the chain’s stores and in food service points such as cafes and restaurants. The company is already shipping its second container, now traveling by sea to the North African Arab country. The information had been provided to ANBA by the agricultural attaché of the Embassy of Brazil to Cairo, Cesar Simas Teles, in episode 44 of ANBA Cast, the podcast of the Brazil-Arab News Agency.
“Egypt is an amazing country, which I have had the pleasure of visiting, but I also never imagined it would have everything to do with açaí. I was impressed with the culture and how well they welcome Brazilian culture and products, and how açaí is opening doors to bring this appreciation of the Amazon rainforest,” revealed Maíra Wong, director of Global Business Development, who is based in the United States and takes care of markets like Asia and the Middle East.
In an interview with ANBA, Wong gave details on the product, which does not contain added sugars or syrups. “To Egypt, we are exporting pure pulp, which is sugar-free, and sorbet, which is more focused on cafes and restaurants. One of the things we prioritize is aligning prices with partners because, although it is a premium product, it is a food we want to make part of people’s daily consumption,” she said.
With global operations, Sambazon was founded by an American and has offices in Rio de Janeiro and London, headquarters in the United States, a factory in the Brazilian state of Amapá, and another in the state of Pará. The company has 21 years of expertise and has as suppliers communities producing açaí berries in the Amazon rainforest. “Açaí is adding value to the rainforest. The riverside communities are seeing they can plan their lives by selling açaí. They don’t need to cut or burn trees because they have a good livelihood in the forest,” he said.
It was Wong who first saw the potential of the Arab market. “The journey started when I went to Dubai on vacation. I saw there was already enough açaí there and called my boss, who is CEO and founder, to tell him. Nobody expected it, and after that, we had a booth at Gulfood. We found importers in the UAE, and from there we started to sell in other countries,” reported the director about participation in the show, which is the largest in the region for foods.
In 2018, the brand started exporting to the United Arab Emirates, and after, it has already entered the markets of Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. Sambazon works with an importer in each country, which resells the products to local distributors and restaurants. “Now, we want to take the appreciation of the Amazon to the consumer in Egypt,” said the director.
The brand has certifications ensuring the product is organic, fair traded, and halal, which certifies the product is suitable for consumption by Muslims.
The company also invested in packaging entirely in Arabic. The Arab countries are today one of the leading consumer markets for Sambazon, just behind the United States, where the brand has its headquarters. “Gourmet Egypt itself contacted us. I believe they discovered our product in the markets of Dubai or another Gulf country and wanted to be pioneers in taking it to Egypt,” she said.
As a result of the pandemic, the director has not yet been in Egypt to see the distribution up close. Still, she counts on the company’s marketing director, who is Egyptian and has already been in the country since the first contact with Gourmet. “We had this support, which was a perfect coincidence, and it worked out really well. We offer a premium product, and we invest a lot in marketing. And they are also dedicating themselves to marketing and investing. It has been a team effort,” she concluded.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
