R20m investment in producing that valued commodity: chocolate
A person of South Africa’s premier sweet and sweet suppliers, Richester Foodstuff, has invested R20 million in new chocolate manufacturing facilities at its manufacturing facility in Centurion in Gauteng.
The owner-managed personal firm that started in 2005 currently produces an in depth vary of confectionery – like chewy and really hard-boiled sweets, toffees, eclairs, lollipops, bubblegum, chewing gum, ball gum, marshmallows and sherbet – and describes itself as obtaining grow to be “one of the most important players in the sweet marketplace in Africa”.
It launched a domestically generated chocolate known as Coco Bongo, costing just R2.50 for every 21g bar (the same excess weight as a Chomp or Bar A single Mini), in January – and has previously marketed about 50 percent a million bars.

The Coco Bongo bar is built of milk chocolate and has a creamy centre. Graphic: Equipped
The company aims to grow its generation capability to 20 million Coco Bongo bars per month over the subsequent two decades.
This is anticipated to see the manufacturing unit hire an more 150 staff members to its current crew.
Richester Meals proprietor and MD Dr Hussein Cassim suggests the economical rate tag of the Coco Bongo chocolate bar will increase gains alongside the price chain, which include for several organizations, spaza retailers and compact sellers.
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“We’ve reverse-engineered the cost tag to make certain that our clients are equipped to make up to 100% earnings, even though concurrently selling Coco Bongo at a extremely economical value for customers,” he says.
“Rather than inquiring consumers to preserve for days or months for luxurious chocolates, we want Coco Bongo to be part of consumer’s each day life.”
Swiss enter, African components
He suggests the chocolate bar, which functions milk chocolate and a creamy centre, is the outcome of analysis and international consultations with “chocolate masters” from Switzerland.
The bars are manufactured from cocoa mostly purchased from farmers in Africa whilst other substances are domestically sourced.
“This is a stage of satisfaction for Richester Food items,” suggests Cassim.
“As a proudly South African business, we want to enjoy a meaningful purpose in work development, and we really don’t want to rely on other international locations to source our item components.”
The maker now employs an supplemental 50 entire-time team in its new chocolate division, which characteristics in-home chillers and chilly storage amenities as perfectly as laboratories for solution screening.
Read: Chocolate maker turns cocoa plant’s squander into well being drink
“There is stiff competitiveness from entrenched manufacturers, but we have the advantage in phrases of knowing area tastes and palates, which we have included into Coco Bongo,” claims Cassim.
“Going forward, we also hope to capitalise on industry chances in neighbouring nations to increase our footprint and industry share.”
“Ultimately, we think that the chocolate current market gives monumental advancement probable, with major probable for unlocking business and work opportunities all through price chains,” he adds.
Nondumiso Lehutso is a Moneyweb intern.