Established Business Category

                              
Frans Struwig                                Jeanne Groenwald                       Paula Brown &
                                                                                                                Vuyokazi Matu

ESTABLISHED BUSINESS CATEGORY

Jeanne Groenewald: Elgin Free Range Chickens

In 1997, Jeanne Groenewald, worried about the impact of processed, chemically enhanced foods on her two children, began rearing free range chickens in her backyard. Today, she supplies almost 80 000 free range chickens per week to leading South African retailers, deli’s and restaurants from the company’s premises in Grabouw. The company’s product is simple: drug-free, stress-free, antibiotic-free, animal-by-product free and healthy chicken. Armed with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a BSc Agriculture degree, Jeanne has the knowledge and skills to grow the business to become a leading local supplier and exporter. One of the company’s main challenges is the lack of “free range” legislated standards, meaning that many companies unfairly claim this status for their products. With a current staff complement of close to 300 people, and growing, Elgin Free Range Chickens is a major employer in the Overberg.
Contact details: Tel: 021 859 4816, e-mail: jeanne@freerangechickens.co.za

Paula Brown and Vuyokazi Matu: Okuhle Media

A women-owned and managed, multi-faceted TV production and media company, Okuhle Media is a content creator that offers through-the-line content marketing and production services to broadcasters, brands and corporates alike. The company conceptualises and produces original and world-class content while offering an in-house marketing and media offering. Television properties such as Hectic Nine9 on SABC 2 and Sarah Graham Cooks Cape Town on SABC 3 (and globally in 40 countries) has resulted in the company winning the Imbongi Award (for best production company in the Western Cape) and a SAFTA Award respectively. With its new state-of-the art studios, purpose built for HD production, Okuhle is extending its offering into television recording, broadcast and post-production while securing and growing its distribution footprint for its original reality-lifestyle properties. The five entrepreneurs behind Okuhle have shown they have what it takes to survive and thrive in a notoriously fickle and difficult industry.
Contact details: Tel: 021 486 2900,  e-mail: Paula@okuhle.co.za

Franz Struwig: iKubu

This Stellenbosch-based company was started by a small group of Computer Engineering students who set out to develop innovative products using computer vision and radar technologies. They provide product development services to third parties, while also developing their own products. iKubu likes to say “we help people to see what they can’t”. They have developed a micro-radar system with various applications, such as bicycle safety. iKubu’s “Backtracker” product, for example, simply and smartly notifies cyclists when cats approach too closely from behind. Another milestone was the brief to develop a 3D bag scanning system for Qantas Airlines. The company won the Eskom Open Innovation Challenge in 2012.
Contact details: Tel: 021 880 0914, e-mail: franz@ikubu.com