Season To Season
The spice of life Season To Season is a leading manufacturer of dry savoury, sweet blends and wet sauces. We talk to founder Ronel Venter. Writer Chris Farnell Project manager Jason Gilkes At some point everyone dreams of packing in their day job and going into business for themselves. But very few people have it in them to actually go ahead and realise that dream. One of those precious few is Ronel Venter. Season To Season is, as the name suggests, a seasoning company. They make seasoning for the food industry, specialising in savoury flavours and supplying the snack food industry as well as for fast foods, recipe dishes, stocks and spices and more. However, while the company is currently undergoing a meteoric rise, it started as nothing more than a pipe dream. "I was a sales director at McCormick," the charismatic Venter says. "Then the company got new management and I realised that what I wanted was a smaller more intimate vibe. So I left the company and after about a year and a half I started my own company." That is how Season To Season came to be. So then comes the instant success story, right? Not quite. "It wasn't like Edison and his lightbulb, there was a long process of trial and error and experimentation," Venter explains. "I found a company close to me that let me have access to their factory after hours. After a year I outgrew them and started my own factory. And after two years I moved to a…
Open Foods
Open wide! Open Food provides catering to the aviation industries and a broad range of clients, big and small, across South Africa. we caught up with managing director Tamar Klonarides to find out what makes the company tick. Writer Hannah Eiseman-Reynard Project manager Jason Gilkes Open Food is a catering company which runs 360 days a year at nine different facilities, and has recently added a night shift. It has been specialising in the aviation, hospitality and corporate catering fields; yet can cater for both big and small events. "We believe that the days of the canteen are over, and dull, stodgy mass produced canteen food are a thing of the past. there is no reason why food for corporates needs to be mass produced and of inferior quality. You can create wonderful, fresh and healthy food at good prices," says Managing Director Tamar Klonarides. The company has been making waves serving a wide range of high-quality, good-value food to a wide range of clients. "our greatest strength is our diversity of skills," she says. "Not only are we able to cater for events ranging from ten to 3,000 people, but we have a manufacturing division servicing the food wholesale and retail industry, and we have a Corporate management team who specialise in managing Food and Beverage requirements for several corporate facilities." that sounds like quite a lot of different scales to work along. How does open Food adjust? "We are still a very customer driven company, where personal service is our key selling point." And…
Eat’N’Go
The Brand of Brands A restaurant group dedicated to bringing the best F&B brands and concepts to Africa, Eat'N'Go feeds your needs. Writer Chris Farnell Project Manager Jason Gilkes Food is big business and in a crowded marketplace few things are more valuable than a recognisable brand. Having a strong brand means customers know exactly what to expect when they buy your products, as well attaching a certain amount of cultural cachet to the food you sell. This is why Eat'N'Go is in such an excellent market position. They have built the brand that other brands choose to market their franchises to Nigeria, as well as elsewhere in Africa. Jean-Claude Meyer is the CEO of Eat'N'Go. "We are a company set to deliver our brands to Nigeria and the West Coast of Africa," he tells us. "We currently have ten outlets open, and we hope to build another six or seven next year." He sees the company's potential lying in its ability to bring widely known international brands into its own markets. "We are bringing international brands to the African continent," Meyer says. "The African consumer is attracted to these brands because we're constantly seeing them in our imported media. You see these brands on TV all the time but they are rarely available, so we bring these brands here." Having access to these brands is important to Eat'N'Go, which describes its mission as being "to become the premier food operator in Africa". The company entered the Nigerian market in September last year, with promises that…
Anchor Yeast
Anchor Yeast celebrates a proud legacy of 90 years This year anchor Yeast celebrates 90 years of supplying innovative product solutions to customers and consumers, locally and internationally. the anchor Yeast brand has been a South African icon since 1923 and has entrenched itself in the heart and homes of South African families. we speak to MD, Vic De Melo, about Anchor and its future. Writer Hannah Eiseman-Renyard/Vanda Evens Project manager Jason Gilkes Anchor Yeast, the leading yeast manufacturer in Sub- Saharan Africa, has embraced changing market conditions and has welcomed the challenge of new opportunities over the years. The most significant event in the last decade was its acquisition by Lallemand a Canadian based company in 2006. "This acquisition brought together two companies that are long-standing leaders in the production and distribution of yeast and ingredients, for the baking and fermented beverage industries," explains Anchor's managing Director Vic De Melo. "Both companies have been in existence since the early 1920's and have common goals, strong values and a commitment to customers, quality products and high service levels." Lallemand's growth agenda enabled global market penetration and access to leading technology. Both companies have pioneered solutions for bakers, wine makers and consumers alike. Lallemand is also a world leader in the development of specialty yeasts and bacteria for animal and human nutrition, as well as fuel ethanol and fermented beverages. "In order to meet the needs of our customers and to remain focused on being a leader in dough raising technology, Anchor is structured into three market-focused…
Teubes
Oiling the wheels South African oils manufacturer Teubes is celebrating its 30th anniversary. We popped to meet founder Clive Teubes who says that "a new era is opening up" as it reaches the milestone. Writer Ian Armitage Project Manager Jason Gilkes If there is one quality that more companies could stand to benefit from it's the benefit of having a true expert at the helm of the company – somebody whose passion lies with the product the business is selling, rather than the act of selling itself. Teubes cc, a company selling a huge variety of oils and natural extracts, is one such company. Talking to Clive Teubes, the founder of Clive Teubes cc, it is clear that his technical background has played a significant part in the development of the company. A variety of chemical processes have been developed down the years which involve distillation, rectification, extraction and various chemical synthetic processes. Consequently today the business is based on a technical foundation which is under continuous development and expansion It's a skill Clive Teubes has spent his life honing. After completing his studies in chemistry at the University of Cape Town in the early 70s, he spent four years in England with ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) receiving industrial training in the design and operation of chemical plants. When he returned to South Africa, Teubes built on that experience during his employment at AECI and Air Products. However, even then, he was keen to go into business for himself and, as the market in essential oils,…
Piza E Vino
A pizza of the action Piza e Vino is the brainchild of Paul Christie and Miki Milovanvic, the clever folks behind the much-loved Doppio Zero franchise. Plans are afoot that will see both brands flourish. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Jason Gilkes It's like mini Italy here, says one review. The ingredients are fresh, flavour combinations are well thought out and the overall vibe is hip and happening, says another. These are Tripadvisor reviews and they're about Piza e Vino, the brainchild of the clever boys behind Doppio Zero. It isn't "just another pizzeria" and what started as a bakery café in Greenside in Gauteng 12 years ago is now two sought after restaurant franchises with their sights set on expanding throughout the country and beyond. "Basically there are two companies under one umbrella - Doppio Zero and Piza e Vino," explains Neil Griffiths, group operations manager for Piza e Vino. Doppio Zero owner, Paul Christie, moved to Johannesburg in 1992 after studying in Cape Town. He opened a number of convenience stores and small restaurants, but it was in 2002 that he and his business partner, Miki Milovanovic secured the first site. At the time, it didn't have restaurant zoning and Milovanovic had a baking background, two factors that combined to create a great business opportunity. "They started Doppio Zero and then seven years later Piza e Vino evolved," says Griffiths. "I became involved about six months after the brand launched its first site in 2009. I am the operations director of the Piza e…
De Keur Estate
Fruits of love De Keur Estate (Pty) Ltd is a long established family run agricultural business, producing first class agricultural produce and high quality customer service since 1934. Director Danell du Toit tells Africa Outlook more about how the business has adapted following the 'farmworker spring' last November. Writer Ian Armitage Project Manager Eleanor Watson A family run agricultural business, the De Keur Group has a long history - since 1934 in fact - of producing first class agricultural produce and there are currently two separate businesses under the De Keur umbrella: De Keur Estates, which produces a wide range of fruits and vegetables, and De Keur Packaging, the packaging facility. The group specialises in top "quality fruit with a short supply chain". "If you look at our production operation, we currently have five farms on which we produce," says Danell du Toit, whose grandfather founded the business. "Of those farms, De Keur itself is where the name of the company originates and it was purchased in 1934 by my grandfather Charl du Toit (Tippie). In 1973 we purchased a second farm, Leeuwrivier and in 1981 Rocklands. Both of these farms are also situated in the Koue Bokkeveld area." In 2008 De Keur purchased two additional farms – Môreson and De Hoop – in the Wolseley area. This was specifically designed to "add earlier varietals" and "expand the De Keur's product offering to meet customer demand," explains du Toit, who adds that the business is continually planning for the future. "If you look at a typical…
Kuku Foods Kenya
Gavin J Bell, GM of Kuku Foods Kenya Limited, the KFC franchisee in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, tells us more about exciting expansion plans and how Kenyans have embraced the brand.
Tanganda Tea Company
What a beau-tea Tanganda Tea Company Limited is the largest producer, packer and distributor of tea products in Zimbabwe. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Eleanor Watson Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water. It is also responsible for the fortunes of the Tanganda Tea Company, Zimbabwe's biggest tea grower and producer. It is the bestselling brand of tea in the country and Central Africa and it exports bulk tea leaves all over the world. But, with Tanganda, tea isn't the only kid in town. The past few years have been tough for the trade. Sure there is always a huge demand for tea but low prices have been prevailing on the world market. This has seen Tanganda diversify into new crops – coffee, avocado and macadamia nut farming in particular - to increase earnings. "Tea is still today a fairly marginal crop," says Tim Fennell, managing director of Tanganda Tea Estates. Tanganda owns and operates five estates covering 2,600 hectares of tea, with additional land being developed for the new crops. The Group is divided into two main operating divisions - Agricultural and Beverage. Fennell says it will put several hundred hectares under macadamia nuts, avocados and coffee. "We identified those three as the best and most complimentary crops," he explains. "They are much more profitable and have the added advantage of being less labour intensive and have a much lower water requirement per hectare. "We do have areas under tea that are not particularly suitable from a terrain and…
Sundry Foods Limited
What a catch Nigeria's Sundry Foods is targeting growth in the quick service industry through its restaurant brand Kilimanjaro and recently launched seafood chain Coral Blue Seafood Restaurant. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Eleanor Watson Ask any fund manager, investor or business development direct and they'll all say the same thing – this is the time to invest in Africa. The continent is regularly touted as the ultimate investment destination and it's easy to see why it is so attractive. Over the past decade Africa has been the second-fastest growing economy in the world according to the World Bank, with GDP increasing an average of five percent a year. Oil-rich Nigeria ticks all the right boxes so far as investors are concerned and, as its middle class grows along with the appetite for foreign brands, more foreign restaurants and lifestyle companies are entering the country. Locally-owned and operated Port Harcourt based Sundry Foods Limited (SFL) is taking advantage of the obvious opportunity, says Managing Director Ebele Enunwa. "We are building new restaurants mainly in different cities around the country," he explains. "We want to offer good wholesome African food." SFL is an integrated food services company founded by young and enterprising Nigerian professionals from diverse backgrounds within and outside the food industry who saw a gap in the provision of quality food services in the retail, commercial and industrial sectors and the urgent need to fill it. SFL has many strings to its bow. It is an integrated food services company. "We provide a full range…
