South Africa's Most Loved Brand
Established in 1992, Frimax Foods has grown to become a household name and a major player in the multibillion-rand potato and corn snack manufacturing sector earning the reputation of South Africa’s Most Loved Snack.
Frimax Foods operates a high-tech processing plant in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal. Products manufactured include potato chips, corn chips, maize puffs and nax.
Founder, Mr Haroon Essa entered an industry in which he had little knowledge or experience. He had a vision that was ahead of his time. Essa identified a gap in the snack market, and due to his ambitious character, and never-give-up attitude, ensured that the company got off the ground, and continued its climb to success.
His sons, Abdool Kader (Baboo), Shamir and Faizel Essa have since joined the company. While still teenagers, both started working on the factory floor after school â€" supervising the dispatch of goods and loading on to trucks, reading consumer mail and assessing call logs, even working as machinery operators and frying potatoes.
The family have a hands-on approach to the business, which has always enabled them to keep their fingers on the pulse, both in the marketplace, as well as in the operation itself. Quality is of the utmost importance, and much care is taken to ensure that this is not compromised in any way.
The company employs 480 staff at its factory and distribution centres throughout the country and supplies national supermarket chains such as Shoprite Checkers and Massmart as well as independent shops. Frimax runs its own distribution warehouses in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pietersburg and Port Elizabeth.
Frimax Foods caters for various business sectors from spaza shops to retailers and wholesalers as well as chain stores. Initially, the target market was concentrated only in KwaZulu-Natal. However, today Frimax Foods supplies snack consumers nationwide and across the SADC region. The company exports to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho. Frimax Foods concentrates on Africa for crisps, because it is a lightweight product and low value in the containers.
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.