Africa

Not cowed by the competition

Sonnendal Dairies is an exclusive supplier of dairy products to South Africa’s largest food retail chain, Pick n Pay. Ben Sansom finds out how the company has been achieving world class standards while fighting off the effects of falling consumer demand.

A hot prospect

From an experiment in its founder’s apartment to a global brand that looks set to grow still further, the success of Bandito’s Chile Co. is testament to the quality and flavour of its products, as Andrew Pelis finds out.

It is the subtle blending of ingredients that has propelled Bandito’s Chile Co. to become one of South Africa’s leading Mexican food suppliers, renowned for offering consumers an eclectic combination of flavours, mixing Mexican chillies with local African ingredients such as garlic and lemon.

Keeping your powder dry

Sunspray Food Ingredients (Pty) Ltd is South Africa’s largest independent manufacturer of spray dried ingredients, a key component of many of the foods and beverages we take for granted. Doing well despite the downturn, it is set to grow fast, as CEO David Watson explained to John O’Hanlon.

A feast of innovation

The challenge of balancing supply and demand has perhaps been never more acutely felt than over the last couple of years. Within the food sector the pressure is intensified in the battle to fill limited supermarket shelf space with premier products, as Andrew Pelis finds out.

Still going strong

Approaching its centenary in 2010, fishing and food processing giant Irvin & Johnson looks set to endure for another 100 years. We took a look at the history and workings of this iconic food brand to find out how it has continued to thrive for so long.

Changing tides

A major and ambitious investment has secured the future of Hangana Seafood and indeed, that of the Namibian hake industry, as Andrew Pelis found out from Hendrik van der Westhuizen.

Dramatic tales have long been told of life at sea, and the story of Hangana Seafood could rank among the best of them with its account of seafaring life, undaunted courage and survival against the odds.

Environmental and social commitment has been a way of life for gold mining company Gold Fields for many years. Philip Woodhouse explains to Gay Sutton how the company has been formalising its sustainable development strategy and how it’s being embedded throughout the company and the supply chain.

The quality alternative

Fry’s Vegetarian Foods is committed to making a difference to the way we eat and the way we think about food. Becky Done talked to Wally Fry about how he has grown the company from his family’s kitchen to the worldwide brand it is today.

As lives get busier and schedules get more and more hectic, the first thing to fall by the wayside is often our health. Thinking about the origin of our food and what it means for us to purchase and consume it can seem like a luxury that only the cash or time rich can afford.