Arenel
Experience! Quality! Innovation! Through their three core values of integrity, loyalty and hard work, Managing Director Joshua Lepar is confident that the future is bright for Arenel Writers Emily Jarvis Project Manager Callum Philp Arenel are manufacturers of quality sweets and biscuits. After decades of operation, you can be sure that the company's sweet and biscuit lines are of the finest quality. In 1946, Mr Robert (Rube) Lepar and Mr Abe Rubin had a vision which culminated in the manufacturing of sweets, in a small factory in Bulawayo. It was not long before the duo were manufacturing a range of hard boiled sweets that included the ever popular "suckers", "sugar sticks" and "apricot balls". Demand for their quality products grew and in order to increase their manufacturing capability, a purpose built facility was erected in the Belmont industrial area of Bulawayo. The partnership of Lepar and Rubin dissolved when Mr Abe Rubin relocated to Harare, where he established a successful bread making enterprise. In the early 1960s, Arenel entered the biscuit market with the purchase of Crown Biscuits. Arenel continued on its path of growth and product development and in 1973 additional premises were acquired some 200m west of the existing facility. Therefore, a biscuit plant was purchased from overseas and installed. Arenel now manufacture quality biscuits to compliment their ever popular growing range of sweets. Soon, space and development dictated the purchase of yet another factory for warehousing and distribution, along with a facility for the transport division and maintenance workshops. "Our high quality product…
Kenblest Group
Baking family values in every loaf Kenblest have a proud heritage and history as a family run business, baking bread of the highest quality in Kenya Writer Matt Bone Project Manager Callum Philp Kenblest's roots can be traced back to 1937, with the incorporation of Shah Kanji Ladha and Company in Thika, Kenya, by Kanji Ladha Shah. The shop located in the centre of Thika town, traded in textiles and general goods. This humble beginning was to pave the way for diversification throughout the years until Mayur Mohanlal Shah joined in 1981, having graduated as a pharmacist from John Moore University and completed a Diploma in Baking in the United Kingdom. Given the company's strong understanding and experience of the Kenyan market, the directors identified a large gap in the industry for good quality bread; and so plans were drawn up to expand into the bakery industry, resulting in the incorporation of Kenblest limited. In August 1982, the Kenblest bakery was commissioned with the prime objective to manufacture and deliver good quality and affordable bread to Kenyan consumers. Since 1982, the company focused heavily on combining international business practices into the workings of Kenblest bakery. Through dedication and hard work, coupled with strong business acumen, Kenblest flourished and within four years the bakery expanded its capacity from 80,000 to 230,000 loaves per day. Expansion in 2006 increased daily production capacity to 330,000 loaves per day, making Kenblest the single largest bread producer under one roof in Kenya. Jinit Shah, CEO of Kenblest, is extremely proud of…
Nature’s Garden
We do the gardening for you Nature's Garden have always aimed to offer the perfect balance of quality, taste, variety and convenience to its customers Writer Matt Bone Project Manager Callum Philp Nature's Garden have been in the business of producing frozen vegetables and chips in South Africa for over 15 years. Throughout this relatively short period of time, the company have grown vastly but have adhered to a strong set of ideals originally set out when the company began. Nature's Garden still believe in sourcing only the best quality vegetables from hand-picked local farmers and delivering them in perfect condition to their customers. With a constantly changing market, Nature's Garden have always aimed to offer the perfect balance of quality, taste, variety and convenience to its customers. Families in South Africa are becoming far more conscious of their diet and eating habits and are looking towards companies in the food industry to become as conscious with their products. With many people juggling a busy, modern lifestyle, Nature's Garden proudly highlight that growing all your own vegetables is simply not a realistic option, so instead they will do the gardening for you. It is this simple mantra that has made Nature's Garden the successful company it is today. From Fields to Freezers Nature's Garden believe their vegetables are of the highest quality because they handpick only the best farms and farmers who share in their commitment to deliver quality and sustainable farming. The company proudly highlights that they have over 50 hand-picked farms across South Africa,…
Pakco
Some like it hot Pakco are renowned for their delivery of flavour through their food-enhancing product lines Writer Emily Jarvis Project manager James Mitchell As a world class food manufacturer with proudly South African roots, Pakco has been adding flavour and quality to consumers' lives since 1948 and is a market leader in the manufacture of spices, condiments, instant meals and complementary products. The company manufactures 9 brands with over 200 SKU's, represented in more than 10 categories in-store. Pakco's family of brands is renowned for reliability, ease of use, and a well-loved, home cooked taste. Through ongoing research and product development, Pakco ensures that the latest international technology and trends are combined with local insights to keep products relevant and in high demand. Pakco (Pty) Ltd. is wholly owned by Renaissance Brands (Pty) Ltd. Recently, after extensive negotiations, the Land Bank has joined as a 50% shareholder of Renaissance Brands (Pty) Ltd. The value in such a powerful banking partner is self-evident as Mr King cites: "There are benefits in having a big financial partner; this will facilitate rapid expansion, both organically and by acquisition." Pakco is located in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, which is home to one of Africa's busiest ports and where founder, Pakkiri Pillay, bottled his first batch of spiced pickle over 60 years ago. The group manufactures packs and distributes staple, dry-packed, and tinned foods, both branded and private label. BBBEE Standards Pakco is committed to sustainable growth and development and the business meets South African Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) standards. As…
Kapa Oil
Slick operator With over 50 years experience, Kapa Oil delivers quality and cost effective products in the oil, detergent and soap manufacturing sectors Writer Emily Jarvis Project manager Nick Norris Started by Shah's grandfather and his two brothers, Kapa Oil prides itself on being a sustainable family-owned business, which has grown to a size of around 2500 employees. Ani Shah, Head of New Projects and the third generation in the family to enter the company, spoke to Africa Outlook about the company origins and retaining their position in the market. Karina Packers The name 'Kapa' is an acronym derived from the title 'Karania Packers' which was established in the late 1960's as a salt packaging and baking powder manufacturing company. Karania Packers grew steadily and within a short time, they ventured into producing cooking fats and edible oils. As a result, it became known as Kapa Oil Refineries Ltd. While treading in new territories, Kapa showed its commitment to innovation by being the first manufacturing company to introduce the packing of cooking fats in reusable plastic containers, a norm that all cooking fat manufacturers now follow. As the industry quickly expanded, Kapa steadily acquired more market share. In succession to the cooking fat and edible oils, Kapa started manufacturing a premium detergent powder called Toss, which took the detergent powder market by storm. Toss has been and still is the market leader in the detergent powder category, with advertisements regularly featured on TV. With continual research and development, Kapa saw prospective opportunities in the FMCG industry…
Coast Millers
Sorting the wheat from the chaff By focusing on customer service and top quality products, Coast Millers is confident it can conquer the whole of Tanzania and beyond Writer Chris Farnell Project manager James Mitchell Established in 1989, Coast Millers started off as a small family business, milling around 30-40 tonnes of wheat flour every day. However, over time this grew to 100 tonnes as demand and capacity increased. Today, Coast Millers produces and distributes 350 tonnes per day across Tanzania and neighbouring regions including Zanzibar and Pemba Island. For Rahul Aggarwal, General Manager, Business Development and Director at Coast Millers, this journey from humble beginnings to nationwide prosperity has been possible thanks to the company's focus on quality. "The key to our success is the quality of the products that we offer," he reveals. "We do not let anything leave our factory or premises until it is quality assured." This dedication to the end product has seen Coast Millers recognised by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards for distributing and manufacturing quality products. Customer Relationships and Service Delivery However, it is not just product quality that has secured Coast Millers' market position, as customer relationships also play a massive part in the company's service driven strategy. "We ensure we give a personalised service to all of our customers," notes Aggarwal. "We manage these relationships on a one-to-one basis and are always available when they need us. "We have taken a lot of time to really understand what our clients require, whether it is a bakery, biscuit…
Kenafric Industries
Taking a bite out of the competition Employing over 1500 people and touching the lives of more than 75000 customers Writer Rebecca Wigmore Project manager James Mitchell Candy, shoes, stationery....try as you might, it's impossible to pin a manufacturing company like Kenafric Industries down. Founded in 1988, Kenafric started life solely as a footwear manufacturer but soon diversified into food, confectionary and school exercise books. Indeed, such is the company's growth that it now distributes its product lines to 14 African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Sudan. as millions of Africans know, whether you're seasoning with oyo Chicken mchuzi, relaxing in your Chappa Dollar flip-fl ops or buying a fresh stack of Super Star notebooks, you're buying into a little of what makes Kenafric Industries so unique. Despite Kenafric's focus on diversification, the core of its business lies in footwear and confectionary. With an infrastructure that processes over 36,000 tonnes of sugar a year, Kenafric is the largest African sweet manufacturer and in October 2012 it launched a Kshs 1 billion confectionary machine, commissioned by Henry Kosgei, the Kenyan Minister for Industrialisation. With the increased production capability afforded by the new equipment, it's clear that Kenafric is focused on increasing its markets, although the company has exhibited a firm commitment to its roots. In a characteristic move, company vice chairman Bharat Shah told reporters that the firm planned to invest up to KSh 4billion in the region over the next two years. A child of Indian immigrants who moved to Kenya…
Greenbelt Fertilisers
GBF eyes African expansion Greenbelt Fertilisers, a 100 percent subsidiary of CHC Commodities, plays a major role in Africa's farming community. We talk to managing director Robert Coventry. Writer Hannah Eiseman-Reynard Project manager James Mitchell Greenbelt Fertilisers (GBF) was incorporated in 2004 and founded in Zambia but over the years has expanded into Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The firm has what managing director Robert Coventry describes as "a proud record" in giving farmers "a higher yield with minimal costs" and he says that while it has traditionally focused on the commercial sector, "we are now also targeting smaller farms". With a small scale farmer, they'll typically use one fertiliser for any crop and in any soil. The potential in this sector is high. "We identified a need for more competition and better quality fertilisers," says Coventry. GBF's formula seems to work and in just nine years it has become the biggest supplier to the commercial sector in Zambia. To grow that fast it helps to have strong commercial links. Greenbelt Fertilisers are a 100 percent owned subsidiary of CHC Commodities Ltd., a firm which specialises in agricultural products such as maize, wheat, sorghum, malting barley and soya beans. It has links to major farming enterprises, as well as strong relationships in the logistics side of the business – handling and shipping large quantities of food products on behalf of traders and relief agencies. The positioning is strong, good commercial ties and the product is of a high quality – a strong start for any business, says…
Symrise
A winning taste for life Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances, flavorings, cosmetic active ingredients, raw materials and functional ingredients and its clients include manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics, food and beverages, the pharmaceutical industry and producers of nutritional supplements. Africa Outlook speaks to Ibrahim Wagdy about how Symrise has taken a hold in Egypt and beyond and its plans for the African continent. Writer Hannah Eiseman-Reynard Project manager James Mitchell Symrise creates flavourings and fragrances for cosmetics, toiletries, sweets, savoury foods and beverages. Its clients include manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics, food and beverages, the pharmaceutical industry and producers of nutritional supplements and it is among the top four companies in the global flavors and fragrances market. Of course, the firm is headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, but the group is represented in over 35 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the U.S. and Latin America. "It takes on average 45 aroma chemicals to make a flavour so it takes a long time to train those people to develop a solid knowledge of hundreds of raw materials to be able to create different flavours," says Symrise Egypt's Managing Director Ibrahim Wagdy, talking about how Symrise trains technologists to work in flavours and fragrances. It sounds like a lot of fun – how do we get in? "We prefer to bring fresh people in than to headhunt," he replies. "We operate in quite a niche area and we select young, fresh graduates who show scientific curiosity and have a can-do attitude. We need them to be…
Unilever Food Solutions : Growth is on the Menu
Unilever Food Solutions helps chefs all over the world “serve tasty, wholesome meals that keep guests coming back for more.”
