11 minute read
HOMEGROWN PIONEERS
GROWING LOCAL
Clicks has placed a strong emphasis on local small- and medium-sized business development. Its new supplier-listing portal will continue this trend of helping each other to grow, writes RODNEY WEIDEMANN
Stimulating the South African economy requires effort from both the public and private sectors. It is recognised that perhaps the single biggest method of growing the economy is through the stimulation of the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector.
As a proudly South African company, Clicks not only understands the importance of supporting local small businesses and products, but also views it as part of its responsibility to ensure that as the company grows, so does society.
Clicks Group corporate affairs director Bertina Engelbrecht says that Clicks is continuously driving support for SMEs to help them unlock their full potential while putting local SME products on the shelves.
“We recognise that SME development is critical to creating jobs and building a healthier economy. This is why Clicks invested over R500-million in SME suppliers in the past year. Once an SME is listed with Clicks, we provide support through supply chain, operational, fi nance and business experience, as well as sales and advertising assistance,” she says.
“The new SME supplier-listing portal is designed to make it much easier for potential suppliers to contact Clicks and also to understand what we require before we can start to do business with them. The portal allows Clicks to manage the new supplier process more effi ciently and ensures that we don’t let any potential suppliers slip through the net.”
Engelbrecht notes that the portal’s success can be seen in the September to June purchases from SMEs, which have grown by 33 per cent compared to last year – well ahead of Clicks’ 20 per cent growth target.
“Clicks is predominantly a health and beauty retailer, which means we are looking for products that are relevant to our customers in these core categories. Opportunities for SMEs exist in the small electrical space, cotton towels and face cloths, baby clothing and accessories categories, to name a few.”
BOOSTING LOCAL SOURCING
Engelbrecht explains that the Clicks Group is working closely with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition to accelerate local procurement and procurement from black- and women-owned enterprises.
“We engage with government to identify potential SMEs that might be relevant as future suppliers. We also look for and evaluate any opportunities for existing Clicks SME suppliers to benefi t from the various government funding and support vehicles. One of our other projects is to localise the production of key lines for Clicks, rather than importing these. We are working closely with government and the Black Industrialists Forum to source local suppliers that can meet our quality and pricing requirements.”
She says that Clicks has grown its local sourcing of Clicks Private Label products by more than 24 per cent this year, from Level 1 to Level 4 B-BBEE businesses. These are products that typically would have been imported. “Our Private Label team works very closely with these suppliers to design the products, agree on the product specifi cations and launch them on the Clicks shelves. We then support these products through strong marketing campaigns – all of which benefi t these local businesses.” Since January 2021, Clicks has helped bring six new black-owned suppliers in the hair
LOCAL BRANDS THAT CLICK
Clicks Group corporate affairs director Bertina Engelbrecht says it has been extremely rewarding to see local brands become established, successful brands in the local market. These include AfroBotanics, AfriBerry and Portia M.
Clicks has also recently launched the following brands: • Dermacell • Nilotiqa • Native Child • Masodi • African Essence • Inzpire Health products • Oratile Kids Each of these brands receives marketing support from Clicks as part of its enterprise development programme.
“With our new small and medium enterprise (SME) portal, we believe that we could seamlessly onboard as many as 20 SMEs annually, although we aspire to achieve a much higher number.”
and personal care sectors to market, including Masodi Organics’ range of natural hair and body products and AfroBotanics’ new multicultural hair range, Kaio.
“A further twelve suppliers are planned for launch by the end of 2021. This is over and above the existing eight black-owned SMEs that are currently listed in these categories.”
“We can all do a lot to revive and renew the SME sector. Our message to both public and private sectors is that we are demonstrating that we are more than willing to both talk and walk the walk,” she concludes.
IN THE PAST YEAR.” – BERTINA Engelbrecht, CLICKS
PROFILES HOMEGROWN PIONEERS
Local companies, Fry’s Family Food Co and Ultimate Sports Nutrition, have become global pioneers in their respective industries. THANDO PATO fi nds out the secrets to their success
SPORTS NUTRITION BRAND GOES GLOBAL
The world of sports supplements has always been competitive, says Albe Geldenhuys, founder and CEO of Ultimate Sports Nutrition (USN), but what sets his brand apart is the constant innovation in its product offering. “USN is at the forefront of innovation and as a result, our products are copied by other brands; we have seen it in South Africa and England,” he says.
In 1999, Geldenhuys saw a gap in the local market for supplements for sports and health enthusiasts who weren’t bodybuilders. “I have always been a health and fi tness fanatic and was interested in sports supplements. I did a lot of research into the topic and then put together a formula at home,” he explains.
At the time, creatine was all the rage and Geldenhuys used an old Sputnik washing machine to combine ingredients. He sold his initial consignments to friends and as interest grew through word of mouth, he began supplying gyms, independent pharmacies, small health shops and then retail chains.
Geldenhuys refl ects on his business turnover in the fi rst few months of 2000. “In January, our turnover was R20 000, in April it grew to R160 000, and in May it peaked at R300 000,” he says. Today, USN has an annual turnover of R1.5-billion and is sold in over 100 countries.
Geldenhuys, a former forensic police artist, had no business experience before starting the brand and has learnt on the job. He says
REGION.” – ALBE GELDENHUYS, USN
Albe Geldenhuys
exporting the brand has been one of his biggest learning curves.
“When I started, I always knew we would have to expand into other markets; that has come with its own challenges. We had to adapt quickly and understand buying behaviours, new business languages and what products worked in each region. This meant listening to our suppliers and the guys in the trade. But South Africans are problem-solvers, so it was nothing we couldn’t overcome.”
THE PLANT-BASED FOOD PIONEERS
This September, Durban-based Fry’s Family Food Co – part of the LIVEKINDLY Collective – celebrated its 30th anniversary. Founded in 1991 by Wally and Debbie Fry, Fry’s Family Food Co was one of the fi rst manufacturers of plant-based meat replacement food products in South Africa.
“Globally, we are seeing a radical rise in the number of brands and innovations. It’s incredibly exciting, and exactly what we have hoped for. Our principle of less meat on plates has only been helped by the growth of the category. The more choice there is for consumers, the more money is spent on research and innovation – and the better it will be for the animals and the planet,” they say.
The couple was motivated to start their business by the need to cater for their vegetarian family, who were looking for a satisfying alternative to meat. Starting in their home kitchen, Wally began to experiment, creating meat replacements that were not genetically modifi ed. With a strong focus on food that was animal-,
environment- and people-friendly, plenty of research went into the ingredients to ensure not only a delicious alternative, but a healthy one too. Their product line-up began with sausages, burgers and hot dogs, which were fi rst sampled by friends before being introduced to a retailer. Now their range covers almost every meat alternative. “Our products are Wally and Debbie Fry important for people who are exploring plant-based eating and who are seeking easy, convenient ways to transition from an animal-based diet.” The brand is now available in several countries worldwide, however, global footprint, Fry’s Family Food Co has the production and operations and joined the LIVEKINDLY Collective. administrative teams of about 500 people “The changes that have come from are still based in Durban. Last fi nancial joining the LIVEKINDLY Collective have year, the company produced approximately all been about scale. We decided to 6 000 tonnes of produce. To drive their partner with them because we could see that for Fry’s to remain relevant in such “OUR PRODUCTS ARE IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPLORING PLANT-BASED EATING AND WHO ARE SEEKING EASY, CONVENIENT WAYS TO TRANSITION FROM AN a growing and competitive category, we had to be able to scale up and ramp up our innovation. And we needed investment and ANIMAL-BASED DIET.” – WALLY AND DEBBIE FRY, FRY’S FAMILY FOOD CO expertise to do that,” the pair conclude.
The Big Fry Burger
Our Local Hairoes
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The Clicks Group is developing and supporting suppliers who are passionate about their brands and keen to grow, create jobs and contribute towards a thriving economy. Here’s a spotlight on three local brands owned by women and listed at Clicks.
AFRI BERRY An organic repair skin and hair company, Afri Berry was founded by Relebohile Moeng after a car accident left her with over 150 stitches on her face. Determined to find an affordable solution to reduce the appearance of her scars, she discovered that cold-pressed argan oil yielded the best results and thus the business was born in 2011. In 2020, Afri Berry was available in Clicks stores. The company has won many awards, including Best Innovative Brand and Beauty Entrepreneur of the Year.
NATIVE CHILD A self-taught hairstylist, Sonto Pooe established Native Child to dispel the myth that natural hair does not grow. “I was tired of being encouraged to look a certain way, when I actually preferred my hair texture in its natural state,” she says. Native Child’s hair and body range, which is responsibly sourced and ethically created is now found at Clicks stores.
AFROBOTANICS Afrobotanics was launched by Ntombenhle Khathwane and has been stocked at Clicks for more than five years. Using celebrities like Pearl Thusi to promote her brand amplified its visibility. On building her business she says, “The road to retail is hard and challenging. It’s easy to over-promise just to get listed, and then fail to deliver. It’s a difficult road, but it’s been the most exciting and the most fulfilling journey and we are living proof that small black women-owned brands can succeed and perform well.”
Relebohile Moeng Ntombenhle Khathwane
Sonto Pooe
Inspires Hope
SMME development is critical to creating jobs and building a healthier economy. “This is why Clicks has invested over R500-million in SMME suppliers in the past year, says Clicks Group CEO Bertina Engelbrecht. Here’s a spotlight on two South African brands you can find inside Clicks.
KHAYELITSHA COOKIES In 2007, a hunger to do more with her life led Adri Williams to leave the security of her corporate job to work for Khayelitsha Cookies, a handmade artisanal cookie company that was in debt and in grave danger of going under. She bought the business for R1 and began the process of turning it around. “This was an opportunity that could provide more women with jobs, and somehow I just knew that this was now my purpose in life,” says Adri.
PORTIA M Portia Mngomezulu is a qualified IT systems engineer whose entrepreneurial spirit was ignited when she stumbled across the remarkable benefits of marula oil. Today, it’s the basic ingredient in her skincare line. Portia started out manufacturing her first products in her garage using a two-plate stove, a cake mixer and a “paraffin funnel” to fill containers. Eventually skincare buyers took notice, and after jumping some hurdles, Portia M was lining the shelves of major retailers, including Clicks. “I’ve managed to put a positive spin on the criticism I have received and look at it as a learning curve. I know one day Portia M will be a global brand,” says Portia.
