Latest news with #TigerBrands
IOL News
12-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Sweet goodbye: Iconic SA chocolate faces an uncertain future
Beacon chocolates face an uncertain future as Tiger Brands considers selling the brand. Image: YouTube For those of us who buy reasonably priced chocolates on a whim — a slab at the till, or a 3-for-2 when the kids are eyeing something sweet — Beacon chocolates have long been a household favourite. From the creamy Ebony and Ivory, or my personal favourite - Heavenly Melk Tert - to the nostalgic appeal of a Nosh bar or the classic crunchy TV Bar, these local treats have offered a slice of South African comfort for generations. But now, change is on the horizon, as one of the country's best-known chocolate brands may be disappearing from shelves. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Tiger Brands, one of South Africa's leading food producers, has announced plans to sell its Beacon chocolate range. The beloved brand, established nearly a century ago, includes favourites such as the TV Bar, Nosh, chocolate-and-marshmallow Easter eggs, and a range of chocolate slabs — including popular flavours like Ebony and Ivory. The company confirmed that while no final decision has been made yet, it is actively exploring options to sell the chocolate category. "We will continue delivering on the strategic turnaround of the business until such time as an appropriate exit mechanism has been identified," CFO Thushen Govender told News24. Tiger Brands CEO Tjaart Kruger acknowledged the challenges facing the chocolate division in an interview with News24. He admitted that the group had "probably fallen behind in technology," explaining that they had not upgraded their chocolate-making equipment in 30 years. According to him, the investment required to modernise the facility is now too high to justify. However, he believes the Beacon brand still holds potential and In the hands of the right person, the Beacon chocolate brand can be a good business. Kruger also noted the difficulty in competing with more dominant chocolate brands, saying, "We price against Cadbury like R4 or R5 a slab cheaper and still don't get the volumes." Despite the uncertain future of Beacon chocolates, Tiger Brands has reassured consumers that other favourites in its sweets portfolio — including Jelly Tots, Maynards Wine Gums, Fizzer, Marshmallows, and Liquorice All Sorts as well as the Jungle Oats Bar is also unaffected by the changes. While no timelines have been confirmed, Tiger Brands has indicated it will continue producing Beacon chocolates until a suitable buyer or alternative strategy is in place. For loyal fans of the brand, it's an unsettling moment — one that may soon turn our spontaneous chocolate purchases into treasured memories. IOL Lifestyle
TimesLIVE
09-06-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Tiger Brands plans not to import small white beans to can Koo baked beans
For the first time in its history, Tiger Brands was forced to import small white beans to keep making its popular Koo baked beans last year. The company predicted a 40% loss in last year's local crop due to poor quality. It imported 2,500 tonnes of small white beans from North America at 30% more than local cost. This was revealed during a recent Tiger Brands heritage tour in Bronkhorstspruit. However, the company celebrated a successful harvest from two local black women farmers who are part of a group of 14 contracted farmers helping the company end its reliance on imported beans. 'We were going to lose about 40% with the quality we were getting while harvesting last year during this time,' said Dumo Mfini, MD for culinary at Tiger Brands. Mfini told TimesLIVE when he saw the local shortage coming he searched across the rest of Africa for an alternative. 'I went to Mozambique, Botswana, up to Ethiopia and Malawi. In Africa, no-one could meet the quality, except Ethiopia, but their size was too small and unsuitable for canning,' he said. Tiger Brands ended up importing Canadian navy beans, also known as small white beans, from North America. 'It was expensive. We imported 2,500 tonnes. The last 500 tonnes will arrive in Durban [soon]. We don't anticipate importing next year, especially with the quality we are receiving from 14 local farmers. We plan to double volumes in future and create a buffer to avoid shortages,' says Mfini. The bean shortage was worsened by climate change and crop switching. Mfini said sometimes farmers looked at which crop would give them the most profit. When the price of red sparkle beans went up by 50%, many farmers switched to those instead of growing the special small white beans needed by Koo.
The South African
09-06-2025
- Business
- The South African
Chocolate prices set to rise in South Africa
Global cocoa prices remain near record highs and may still rise, leaving South African consumers unlikely to find cheaper chocolates this year. According to BusinessTech , while South Africa's overall inflation remains within the Reserve Bank's 3% to 6% target range, food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation rose to 4.0% in April 2025. Within that category, sugar, confectionery, and desserts saw sharper increases, rising 5.6% year-on-year. Chocolate prices alone jumped 6%. Over a longer period, the increases are even more striking. A standard chocolate slab now costs nearly 27% more than it did in 2023, while the price of a chocolate bar has gone up 18.6%. Soaring global cocoa prices, which have increased by almost 300% in the past year, have directly driven the surge in chocolate prices. Cocoa reached a record high of $12 565 per metric tonne in December 2024. Extreme weather and disease have devastated cocoa crops in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, driving the spike in prices. The two countries together produce about two-thirds of the world's cocoa. Although exports from the Ivory Coast briefly increased earlier this year, easing prices, the government has since warned of tighter supply, which reversed the trend. Now, concerns over the quality of the ongoing mid-crop are driving prices higher again. Reuters analysts report that cocoa processors are rejecting truckloads of beans due to poor quality. Cocoa processors reject about 5% to 6% of mid-crop deliveries, compared to just 1% during the main crop. Erratic rainfall has caused the drop in quality and could cause yields to fall 9% from 2024 levels. Major chocolate manufacturers, including Mondelez International which owns Cadbury and Oreo have acknowledged the price strain. The company flagged 'unprecedented cocoa cost inflation' in recent forecasts and warned that more price increases may be necessary if prices remain high. Nestlé and other global producers have also hinted at future price increases due to cocoa shortages and rising input costs. Tiger Brands owner of Beacon and South Africa's popular marshmallow Easter eggs is looking to sell its chocolate division, citing decades of underinvestment and limited strategic focus. The group admitted it had failed to keep pace with competitors like Cadbury and acknowledged it had not actively engaged with the brand or updated its technology in over 30 years. Tiger Brands will support Beacon until it finds a suitable buyer but believes new ownership could improve the brand's performance. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
SowetanLIVE
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SowetanLIVE
Bring the vibe: turn ‘Thank you, Mom' into a song and win with Koo
This June, Koo is serenading mothers nationwide with the A Song for Ma competition. This tribute campaign uses the power of music and storytelling to honour mother figures across SA — and offers participating students and their schools the chance to win prizes to the value of a massive R200,000. Koo and Mzansi's mothers have lived side by side for over 80 years, and this year the brand is taking that bond a step further by using iGwijo — a traditional form of call-and-response singing — as a way to unify the nation in gratitude. iGwijo, often used to uplift and inspire, becomes a platform for everyday South Africans to say, 'Thank you, Mom' in their own unforgettable way. 'Mothers don't just make meals — they make memories,' says Neo Dikamotse, marketing manager for Koo at Tiger Brands. 'And so many of those memories are flavoured with Koo. With A Song for Ma, we're saying thank you with rhythm, heart, and harmony. This campaign ... celebrates every mother and mother figure who continues to show up with care, strength, and a plate full of love.' The initiative draws inspiration from the jingle from Koo's iconic Thank you, Mom TV ad that echoed through South African homes over 30 years ago. Now, the brand is challenging students to take inspiration from this jingle and create a modern-day revival that's rooted in the same enduring love. With its own national singing competition, A Song for Ma encourages South Africans to express what they've always felt but perhaps never said — with music, unity, and joy.
The Citizen
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Rising meat costs will punish the poor
With imports halted and diseases spreading, meat prices are set to rise, putting added strain on households already battling food insecurity. How is it that the head of a company specialising in pork products should go into bat on behalf of the poultry sector as a meat supply crisis engulfs our country? It sounds odd, but as Eskort CEO Arnold Prinsloo explains it, you can see the logic. The government has banned the importation of chickens from Brazil, because of the outbreak of avian flu in certain parts of that country. What that means is that we are no longer importing the estimated 19 000 tons of mechanically deboned meat (MDM), which is a vital component of processed meats such as polony, of which Eskort is one of a number of suppliers. The ban on imports comes as two other blows have hit meat supplies. First, there was a crisis at Daybreak Foods, one of South Africa's largest integrated poultry producers, which has entered business rescue after being forced to cull 350 000 starving chicks. ALSO READ: Tiger Brands to make interim advance payments to listeriosis victims as class action continues Then came the news this week that foot-and-mouth disease had been detected at a Gauteng feedlot owned by Karan Beef. Prinsloo reckons all of this combined can lead to hikes in the price of meat across all categories and, because the cheaper processed meats rely on MDM, it could be the poor who are hardest hit. The meat industry, along with farmers' groups, are upset at the government, specifically for its inaction. The concern among farmer's organisations is that the authorities did not act quickly enough to contain the foot-and-mouth outbreak, with the result that many cattle farmers could face financial ruin as they will be banned from moving or selling their stock. The meat industry wants the government to immediately amend the Brazilian import ban so that it applies to only those areas in that country actually affected by bird flu. Unless urgent action is taken, we face a cold, hungry winter. NOW READ: Soweto's smoked meat master makes waves
