Beyond the Bubble: How Trade Kings Expanded Its Manufacturing Empire in Zimbabwe Through Boom and Aloha
Written By: Naison Marufu (The Marketing Maven)
Updated: October 24, 2026 | 10 min read
Did you know that Boom and Aloha—two of the most visible household care brands in Zimbabwe today—are owned by the exact same company? Trade Kings Group, a Zambian-founded manufacturing giant, has systematically built a massive presence across Southern Africa.
The interesting part is not simply that two familiar products share an owner. It is the commercial logic behind it. How does a company expand from a single detergent paste manufactured in a Lusaka garage into a multi-million-dollar localized manufacturing operation in Harare's Workington industrial area? Here is how Trade Kings executed a flawless portfolio strategy in Zimbabwe.
From a Garage to a Regional Giant
Trade Kings began its journey in 1995 in Lusaka, Zambia. Its first product was Blue Boom detergent paste, reportedly manufactured in a garage. But the company didn't stop at one product; they methodically scaled their offerings to capture more of the consumer's recurring household needs.
The Brand Timeline
In 2010, the group introduced Boom Bubble Plus washing powder. By 2012, this had expanded into a much broader Boom household-cleaning range, moving beyond a simple name on a packet to a trusted household staple.
Aloha came later, launching across laundry and household-care products. This gave Trade Kings a second distinct brand to serve consumers and enter related categories without diluting the Boom identity.
The Power of the Portfolio
Think about what the dual-brand approach means commercially. Instead of depending on one product, the company developed a portfolio around the recurring needs of a single household: washing clothes, cleaning surfaces, and maintaining the home.
"This is a form of portfolio strategy. The company can share manufacturing infrastructure, procurement, and distribution relationships across products, while giving individual brands their own identities."
The Zimbabwean Investment (Workington)
The story becomes even more interesting when we look at Zimbabwe. Trade Kings did not remain solely an exporter. They established local detergent manufacturing operations in Harare’s Workington industrial area in 2014, officially commissioning their detergent-powder plant in October 2015.
The Business Lesson: A brand can enter a market through imports, establish baseline demand, and then move production closer to its customers. Local manufacturing reduces dependence on cross-border logistics and creates a staging ground to supply neighboring markets.
How to Become a Household Name
"A familiar brand is not automatically proof of market dominance. The more useful question is how the company has positioned itself to compete."
In 2023, a Trade Kings Zimbabwe representative noted that the business was still working to persuade consumers to choose locally manufactured alternatives over familiar imported brands. It highlights a stark reality: local production brings new responsibilities in managing inventory, sourcing inputs, and maintaining consistent quality.
The Final Takeaway: Developing multiple brands, committing to local manufacturing infrastructure, and solving the logistical nightmare of national distribution is how a product transitions from a mere commodity into a household name. This is how Trade Kings turned a single product category into a dominant commercial operation in Zimbabwe.
Polaris Systems: Our approach works so well because we provide a single point of contact for every customer, creating multiple efficiencies. We aim to ensure a seamless experience, resulting in partnerships that deliver improved value and minimal downtime. This is how we achieve true customer satisfaction.
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