Meet Sandisiwe Dlamini – Food Safety Officer at Black Mamba
Sandisiwe Dlamini, also known as Sandi, joined the Black Mamba team as Food Safety Officer in February 2021. This very well-educated woman stepped into her current role after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Eswatini, and honing her skills as a laboratory analyst and quality officer in the IT industry, respectively.
“Sandi initially started her journey at Black Mamba as an intern and was instrumental in helping us achieve our food safety certification. Her work ethos was impeccable, and soon I noticed that she had great skills and knowledge that went beyond the food safety aspects. She was eager to learn every aspect of production. We needed to have her in our team!” says Claudia, Black Mamba co-founder and CEO (Chilli Enthusiast Officer).
These days, Sandi’s day-to-day responsibilities include overseeing process in the factory to maintain quality control and eliminate food safety hazards as far as possible.
“What I love about my job is the fact it links all the departments in the organisation and narrows them down to the best interest of the consumer - the safety of our products. All of our systems are tested by means of a Food Safety Audit to ensure compliance to applicable legislation, and this is also where I can actually evaluate my work and worth in the company as well,” Sandi explains. Food safety is one of the most important aspects in food manufacturing; it is not only a legal requirement, but also an ethical requirement for companies like Black Mamba.
“What I love about my job is the fact it links all the departments in the organisation and narrows them down to the best interest of the consumer - the safety of our products. All of our systems are tested by means of a Food Safety Audit to ensure compliance to applicable legislation, and this is also where I can actually evaluate my work and worth in the company as well,” Sandi explains. Food safety is one of the most important aspects in food manufacturing; it is not only a legal requirement, but also an ethical requirement for companies like Black Mamba.
“When you are dealing with people's health and wellbeing it is imperative that you have all your ducks in a row. This includes having a Food Safety Officer that oversees that we comply with all processes and documentation related to this. In other words, having a dependable person in Sandi’s role is absolutely essential for Black Mamba,” says Claudia.
Sandi also feels that Black Mamba is a great fit for her personally because she sees it as a privilege to work alongside people who support and advocate for women in Eswatini, where female voices have not been heard or recognised for a long time.
“The truly great this is how Black Mamba works to pay it forward by assisting in things like capacity-building training for small- and medium female entrepreneurs in the same industry. Now, that is a brand I love to associate with,” Sandi enthuses.
The Black Mamba teams also believes that Sandi is the best person they could have possibly found for the job of Food Safety officer.
“Sandi is like a ball of fire,” says Claudia. “Very apt for a business that produces chilli sauces! She's enthusiastic and full of energy, professional, eager to learn, and has great leadership skills. She's not afraid to speak for what she believes matters; she is the proof that hard work and passion are great drivers, and despite her young age she is already a great role model for other young women in Eswatini.”
When she is not hard at work making sure that your favourite Black Mamba products make it to the shelves in top-notch condition, Sandi likes to work out, spend time with her family, and tend her growing collection of plants. This multi-talented woman also braids her own hair, and even earns some money on the side doing the same for family and friends.
“Sandi is like a ball of fire,” says Claudia. “Very apt for a business that produces chilli sauces! She's enthusiastic and full of energy, professional, eager to learn, and has great leadership skills. She's not afraid to speak for what she believes matters; she is the proof that hard work and passion are great drivers, and despite her young age she is already a great role model for other young women in Eswatini.”
When she is not hard at work making sure that your favourite Black Mamba products make it to the shelves in top-notch condition, Sandi likes to work out, spend time with her family, and tend her growing collection of plants. This multi-talented woman also braids her own hair, and even earns some money on the side doing the same for family and friends.
TOP TIP: Sandi highly recommends the Black Mamba Peri-Peri Chilli Sauce. “Peri-Peri sauce is somewhat of a universal language among Africans; it’s also the perfect accompaniment to any meat dish in my opinion!”