Ballito entrepreneur Siphelele Ngidi turned heads at China’s recent CAEXPO and will soon be exporting her home-grown sauces and wines to new international markets.

Ngidi, owner of Emgard Wines, McChillie sauce and Owasekhaya beet sauce, was among 12 entrepreneurs from KZN selected by Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) to represent South Africa at the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), held in Nanning, China, from September 17 to 21.

The annual five-day international business exhibition is a major trade platform, attracting more than 3 260 businesses from 60 countries.

The expo focused on using digital innovation and trade agreements to strengthen China-ASEAN partnerships.

Ngidi’s product proved so popular they were sold out before the event ended.

“I secured international markets and will be exporting my products to China from now on,” said an excited Ngidi.

She thanked TIKZN and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition for making the trip possible, noting that their support with logistics and documentation opened doors to a “trip of a lifetime.”

Beyond the exhibition halls, Ngidi said she was awed by China’s technological advancements.

“Food was delivered by robots and even the hotels were cleaned by bots. It was truly inspiring to see such high-level innovation up close,” she said.The

40-year-old entrepreneur launched Emgard Wines in 2020 (produced in Cape Town) before expanding her brand with the chili and beetroot sauces in 2025.

She said breaking into the Chinese market marks a major milestone in her journey.

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