Page 112 - 2019\20 KZN Top Business Portfolio - EBOOK

FRIMAX FOODS

Abdool Kader Essa Shamir Essa
www.frimax.co.za

SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST LOVED SNACK The family have a hands-on approach to the business,
which has always enabled them to keep their fingers
Established in 1992, Frimax Foods has grown to on the pulse, both in the marketplace, as well as in the
become a household name and a major player in the operation itself. Quality is of the utmost importance,
multibillion-rand potato and corn snack manufacturing and much care is taken to ensure that this is not
sector earning the reputation of South Africa’s Most compromised in any way.
Loved Snack.
The company employs 480 staff at its factory and
Frimax Foods operates a high-tech processing plant distribution centres throughout the country and
in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal. Products manufactured supplies national supermarket chains such as Shoprite
include potato chips, corn chips, maize puffs and nax. Checkers and Massmart as well as independent shops.
Frimax runs its own distribution warehouses in Cape
Founder, Mr Haroon Essa entered an industry in which
he had little knowledge or experience. He had a vision Town, Johannesburg, Pietersburg and Port Elizabeth.
that was ahead of his time. Essa identified a gap in the Frimax Foods caters for various business sectors
snack market, and due to his ambitious character, and from spaza shops to retailers and wholesalers as
never-give-up attitude, ensured that the company got well as chain stores. Initially, the target market was
off the ground, and continued its climb to success. concentrated only in KwaZulu-Natal. However, today
His sons, Abdool Kader (Baboo), Shamir and Faizel Frimax Foods supplies snack consumers nationwide
Essa have since joined the company. While still and across the SADC region. The company exports
teenagers, both started working on the factory floor to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho.
after school – supervising the dispatch of goods Frimax Foods concentrates on Africa for crisps,
and loading on to trucks, reading consumer mail because it is a lightweight product and low value in
and assessing call logs, even working as machinery the containers.
operators and frying potatoes. Consequently, many communities in Southern Africa,
who may not have been exposed to the luxury of
tasting a potato chip, have had the opportunity of
giving themselves, their families and especially their
children, a daily treat.
Frimax Foods has embraced the concept of continuous
improvement within its production facility, and
constantly strives to increase product quality, whilst at
the same time reducing overhead costs.
The company endeavours to reduce its carbon foot
print on all levels. As far as possible, natural gas is
utilised in the production plant to fire up the fryers,
ovens and burners, as opposed to the use of electricity
or diesel. A state-of-the-art effluent plant has been
commissioned and installed at the plant to ensure
environmental sustainability.
The fleet of commercial vehicles and trucks are
always well maintained and renewed on a regular

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