MASERU — Premier league outfit Bantu have scored another first.
They are now producing their own bottled mineral water starting from the beginning of this season.
The Mafeteng team can safely claim that they have gone from zero to hero since their promotion into the country’s elite soccer club in 2009.
A Matšo Matebele managed to clinch two major sponsorship deals this year from Sentebale Funeral Service and Metropolitan.
In addition they were also the first team to be issued a license after Caf and Lesotho Football Association (Lefa) introduced a new licensing system at the beginning of the season.
From there they never looked back and won their first trophy in 14 years, the Independence Cup, two months ago.
Bantu were the Vodacom Soccer Spectacular runner-ups after losing 6-5 in a penalty shootout to Matlama on Sunday.
And now A Matšo Matebele have become the only premier league team in the country to bottle their own mineral water.
Bantu president, Leuta Leuta, told the Lesotho Times on Tuesday the bottled mineral water project was started at the beginning of this season.
“We are producing about 30 cases of 600 ml each day but so far it is being distributed in Mafeteng district only,” Leuta said.
“We are currently focusing on Mafeteng only because we want the local people to accept and identify with our brand before we can sell it in other districts,” he said.
Leuta said the team management saw a good business opportunity in bottled water after they were approached by a Mafeteng-based company.
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“We saw the business opportunity and bought the rights from Lesotho Waters, a bottled water company based in Mafeteng. The water is strictly produced from the wells of Mafeteng,” he said.
Leuta added that it was cheaper for the team to produce its own bottled water than buy each time Bantu have a game.
He said people had welcomed the brand in Mafeteng and there are numerous orders coming in each day.
As soon as they are satisfied with their capacity to supply the product in Mafeteng, they would approach other teams and supply them with water.
“We want our business to grow and we are already looking into branding the product for other teams like Majantja if they are interested,” he said.
Majantja are based in nearby Mohale’s Hoek district.