10 minute read
FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL
LOVED, TRUSTED AND EVER-POPULAR
South Africa is home to several well-known brands that are woven into the fabric of our society, often through catchy advertising campaigns whose jingles and tag lines are embedded in our minds. CARYN GOOTKIN looks at some of our oldest and most loved brands
Black Cat Peanut Butter
BLACK CAT
Black Cat Peanut Butter was fi rst produced in Potgietersrus in 1926, under the name Alderton Limited, which was bought by Tiger Oats Company in 1946.
“Over the years, the brand has consistently maintained messaging that reinforces its quality credentials in a fun and light-hearted way,” says Edna Mohale, marketing director: culinary, Black Cat at Tiger Brands. “In 1950, with the launch of Springbok Radio, Black Cat was ready to take its place among the
BLAAUWKLIPPEN
Blaauwklippen – the oldest wine farm in Stellenbosch – was established by free burgher Gerrit Jansz Visscher (Visser) in 1682. The name Blaauwklippen – meaning blue stones – is said to be derived from the granite found on the farm, which has rich and fertile soils from the grey-blue decomposed granite deposited against the mountain slopes.
“The farm has continuously reinvented itself to be integral to the communities of Stellenbosch, Jamestown and the broader South African wine industry,” says Ben-Carl Havemann, CEO of Blaauwklippen. “Down to earth with a rich history and winemaking tradition, Blaauwklippen continues to produce wines of distinction, in harmony with the simplicity of country living, which is key to the success of the brand.”
The premium Blaauwklippen range of wines has been honed to maintain excellent quality, a characteristic for which the brand has become known.
“We have expanded our range to cater for our consumers’ changing needs and extended that to the brand,” says Havemann. “Our new range of craft gins, for example, puts a fresh spin on our tradition, while offering consumers new ways to experience familiar products. We’ve also kept the brand alive and relevant by expanding the legacy to include new ideas and offerings to cater for families, events and outdoor enthusiasts in addition to the traditional wine lovers.”
De Blaauwe Klip 2017
big brands. The 1980s saw the famous TV commercial, ‘Bully on the Beach’ – who can forget the line ‘Black belt? U-uh. Black Cat’.”
The business continues to invest in the brand. “The latest creative focus is on the ‘energy boost’, encouraging young kids to play more and challenge their imagination through problem-solving,” says Mohale. “Today we have four variants in various pack sizes with peanut content ranging between 91 and 99 per cent – a range to fi t every kind of peanut butter lover.”
OROS
Established by Charles Brookes in 1899, OROS has been a part of South African lives ever since. “Over time, the tone of brand communication has been endearing and warm,” says Tatum Chetty, brand manager for OROS at Tiger Brands.
“In the early ’90s, OROS created an imaginary world that children could relate to with a jingle that has stood the test of time. The brand then became a cross-generational product with an iconic song with a memorable tune.”
Who can forget the lovable OROS man who rose to popularity in the ’80s, along with the “O… O… O… O… OROS” jingle? “In such a serious world, people need to fi nd a release,” says Chetty. “At OROS we believe that a world of play is a better world, so OROS remains ‘a squeeze of fun’.” Oros
IWISA
Iwisa No.1 has been part of the South African community since 1956 when it was established by Premier Milling Company (now called Premier FMCG).
“Iwisa No.1’s success can be attributed to the brand’s ability to capture the hearts and minds of the nation by delivering trusted and quality products that have been at the centre of family moments and delicious meals for years,” says Premier FMCG’s marketing milling executive, Sibongile Mooko.
“Iwisa No.1 provides nourishing and filling anytime meal solutions, offering both variety and versatility. Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, Iwisa No.1 draws people together, giving them a sense of belonging, and ensures everyone is well fed!”
Over the years, the product range has grown to reflect consumers’ evolving needs. “This has been instrumental in the ongoing success of the Iwisa No.1 brand, which now caters for even more meal occasions and still delivers on the original taste. The range now includes the following favourites: Super Maize Meal, Samp, Maize Rice, Braaipap, Instant Maize Porridge and Mageu,” notes Mooko.
“IWISA NO.1 DRAWS PEOPLE TOGETHER, GIVING THEM A SENSE OF BELONGING, AND ENSURES EVERYONE IS WELL FED!” – SIBONGILE MOOKO, PREMIER FMCG
MARKHAM
The first Markham (then called Markhams) store opened in 1873 in Adderley Street, Cape Town, with Eloff Street in Johannesburg following a couple of years later.
“The Foschini Group acquired the brand in 1968 and expanded it to the more than 360 stores (in South Africa and Africa) and strong online presence the brand now enjoys,” says Nicol Rademeyer, head of marketing for Markham. “We’re loved and trusted for our promise of fashion and quality. We stay in touch with our consumers’ styles and keep evolving beyond our traditional roots as a men’s tailoring store.”
In 2004, the brand was repositioned as Markham. “Our strength lies in the fact that we offer the complete men’s lifestyle suite, partnering with them on their journey first as a student, then a young career professional and then a trendy dad,” says Rademeyer. “We are there for every special touchpoint or occasion on their journey through life – you could say we are their trusted fashion partner.”
Markham
OLD MUTUAL
Founded in South Africa by John Fairbairn in 1845, Old Mutual celebrates 176 years as one of South Africa’s – and Africa’s – most iconic brands in 2021.
“Old Mutual’s success is attributed to our long-term view and sound understanding that change, challenge and opportunity are the only constants,” says Mosala Phillips, chief marketing officer at Old Mutual. “We know that life is always changing for our customers, staff and the communities that we serve, but the things that matter most in life – hope, security and family – never will.”
Old Mutual has supported individuals, businesses and communities through civil wars, the Spanish Flu pandemic, economic and political turbulence, and now COVID-19.
“Throughout these years, Old Mutual’s support of those it served was unwavering,” says Phillips. “Ultimately, our brand value is the result of the trust that customers place in us and the employees who deliver on our promises. The key to Old Mutual’s success is being resolute on our purpose of championing mutually positive futures every day.”
Old Mutual
“OUR BRAND VALUE IS THE RESULT OF THE TRUST THAT CUSTOMERS PLACE IN US AND THE EMPLOYEES WHO DELIVER ON OUR PROMISES.” – MOSALA PHILLIPS, OLD MUTUAL
Singer sawing machine
SINGER SEWING MACHINES
Although originally established in the United States as far back as 1851, the Singer brand became entrenched in South Africa through aggressive door-to-door sales, offering machines on credit, a novel marketing strategy for the time.
“When the Singer Company eventually disinvested from South Africa in protest against the apartheid regime, Joe Szokola, a Hungarian refugee who started selling Singer Sewing Machines in 1962, was tasked with selling off the stores,” says Grant Mills, director of SZ Sewing Machines.
“A cunning entrepreneur, Szokola saw the brand’s worth and bought two stores for himself, establishing SZ Sewing Machines in the latter part of 1975. He worked tirelessly and passionately to become the official Singer distributor for Southern Africa.”
The secret to the success of the brand in South Africa is that the company still adopts the basic principles that originally drove Singer to success.
“The brand continues to remain foremost in the minds of South African garment manufacturers as a result of the partnerships Szokola forged with fabric houses, wholesalers and retailers to display the Singer brand logo in their windows, and the brand’s ability to constantly adapt to emerging technology.”
FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL
South Africa has more than its fair share of indigenous businesses that have made a splash internationally. RODNEY WEIDEMANN looks at a few success stories
While South African products may not always have the cachet of something from Paris or London, and are less likely to be as familiar to international customers as those regularly touted by Hollywood, the country still has several companies that have translated local prosperity into global success.
One of these is Sappi, the company that began 85 years ago as SA Pulp and Paper Industries. According to Dr Tracy Wessels: general manager of group sustainability and research and development at Sappi, the company spent its fi rst half-century concentrating on domestic growth, acquiring additional paper mills and land on which to plant trees.
“In the mid-’80s we began exporting internationally, and by the ’90s, we were acquiring assets in Europe and the United States. Today, you could almost describe us as a ‘silent giant’ with assets on three continents. Not bad for a company that began as a small mill making paper from straw,” she says. “Today, we have a range of additional products, including a dissolving pulp, certain biocomposites and various products composed of lignin and nanocellulose. We are well aware of the danger of climate change so are looking to develop more bio-based solutions. This is part of our fi ve-year strategy known as ‘Thrive 25’, which is focused on building a thriving world that unlocks renewable resources for the benefi t of people, communities and the planet.”
FROM SMS TO SUCCESS
At the opposite end of the scale is a business that may be worth more than a billion rand today, but began, as so many success stories do, in a garage. SMSPortal, a leading messaging specialist and cloud communications platform, was initially launched in 2002 by university students Charles Stretch and James Pearce, out of one of their father’s garages. According to Pearce, they had no grand, billion-rand plans initially – they were simply young entrepreneurs with a unique idea to launch a business to make some extra cash. It was only once the process was underway that they realised the extent of its potential, he explains.
“We started by offering a service to pubs and clubs, but have since grown to encompass aspects as diverse as lead generation, debt collection, banking and marketing, which is today undertaken for blue-chip organisations, stock exchange companies and anyone that has a message they need to get out at scale.”
“Once we began to see its real potential, we kept our heads down, fl ew under the radar while picking up customers and, when we fi nally lifted our heads, we found we were the biggest in Africa. Today, we supply services in 130 countries and are focused on growing this even further,” he notes.
NO COOKIE-CUTTER OPERATION
For some businesses, this kind of international growth is simply the way the cookie crumbles. Adina Smith, marketing manager at Biscoplus, points out that the company was launched by a group of family and friends some 29 years ago as a fl our mill manufacturing biscuits for the wholesale trade market.
“Growth at this time was slow – initially, we only serviced Pretoria and its surrounds with large bags of biscuits aimed at the hawker and wholesale market. Slowly, we grew into some of the surrounding provinces, but hit a limit here on this range as the market was increasingly competitive and price-sensitive,” she says. “After purchasing the Henro Foods brand, we gained access to their retail-focused Marie Dr Tracy Wessels and Lemon Cream ranges, which we then took to Spar – our fi rst major retail account. This led us to take on the manufacture of their ‘house brand’ biscuits, which really began opening things up for us.” Today, she continues, the company has good relations across most of the SADC region and the Indian Ocean Islands, as well as with a South African shop in the United Kingdom. “Despite our fantastic African growth, we still see big opportunities in South Africa. At the moment, our brand has a 1.7 per cent share of the market, currently dominated by Bakers (60 per cent) and the various retailers’ house brands (20 per cent). So our aim, within this remaining 20 per cent, is to reach 5 per cent within fi ve years. We believe we have the right products and have identifi ed the opportunities – all that’s left is to pursue them,” she concludes.
