After losing a thriving ready-meal business to the crippling effects of loadshedding, local entrepreneur Marci Pather has done it again by successfully launching a new product range now available in 225 Pick n Pay stores nationwide.
Marci Pather with the Patha Patha range available in 225 Pick n Pay stores nationwide. Image supplied
His latest venture, Patha Patha, developed with the rest of the Pather family, is a line of affordable, flavour-packed cooking sauces designed specifically for South African staples like rice, pap, and pasta.
The idea was born out of crisis when loadshedding and Covid-19 disruptions forced them to shut down their frozen meal business in 2023.
They needed to pivot - and fast. Creating a new product offering that could withstand challenges often beyond their control was their goal.
Marci Pather, a director at the company, says: “As a family, we came together to brainstorm. We knew that carbohydrates form an important part of the South African diet. We knew that staples like rice, pap and pasta were included in the shopping baskets of most consumers, and that those products are fairly inexpensive, but less so were the accompanying sauces. And that’s where we identified a gap.”
From ladle to legend
Pather, a food technologist by profession, understood the business would be going up against strong competitors whose products are well known and loved.
The family invested whatever financial and other resources they had into Research and Development (R&D) and decided to start with macaroni and spaghetti sauces – the most popular dry pastas.
They began experimenting with ingredients and recipes and, after many iterations, created Patha Patha, a range of long-life bolognaise and macaroni sauces that were dairy, meat, and gluten free.
The research showed that consumers were increasingly partial to soft packaging over hard plastic or glass, which makes sense if you consider how many customers use public transport to get to and from a store where there’s a greater chance of dropping a bag and breaking an item.
Image supplied
This preference is mirrored across food categories in countries like Brazil, Russia, India and China, but not so much in South Africa.
“My first innovation was putting sauce into a plastic bottle back in 1987, the first person in South Africa to do so at the time. So, it was important to me that we create a product line that was healthy and delicious and that met evolving consumer preferences,” says Pather.
With product, packaging and production secured, Patha Patha needed to be given the opportunity and support to get into the last 50 meters of the supply chain and onto shelves.
Pick n Pay partnership: a game changer
In 2024, through its Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programme, Pick n Pay listed the Patha Patha range in select franchise stores, which enabled Kaama Food Family to scale its production.
Today, the products are stocked in 225 stores, including all corporate stores and some family and hyper stores, with the product line yielding positive results. Sales revenue has more than tripled since the products were first launched.
“The product line is experiencing a significant month-on-month increase, which, for a relatively ‘new kid on the block,’ is wonderful. Pick n Pay’s ESD programme and team have been instrumental to our growth. It’s encouraging to see that their management and buyers are truly committed to supporting small businesses and actively working alongside us to overcome the challenges we face,” continues Pather.
While advertising remains a challenge for small businesses, Patha Patha products enjoy ‘free advertising’ just by virtue of being on so many Pick n Pay shelves.
Currently, Patha Patha offers the market two ranges in the pasta category: classic bolognaise, chilli bolognaise and mushroom bolognaise; while the macaroni range includes cheesy tomato and tomato and basil.
Following the success of the initial ranges, Patha Patha has expanded to include creamy peri-peri sauces, from mild to extra hot, as well as a creamy lemon and herb sauce.
While the Pather family remains focused on the local market, they also have ambitions to expand globally. Patha Patha has exhibited under the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) Pavilion and has already achieved success by exporting in bulk to Bangalore, India.
The business is currently working on appointing importers and distributors in the Indian Ocean Islands, Dubai, and the broader Middle East.
“Exporting is a costly and time-consuming process for small businesses,” says Pather. “You need to have a strong local market presence before taking that leap.”
“If loadshedding and Covid-19 have taught me anything – not to mention turbulent political times – it’s that for small businesses to succeed they need to innovate according to what the market needs. They need resilience and tenacity. More importantly, strategic partnerships with big business is paramount in a country where innovative ideas by the small guys are often not supported. Pick n Pay’s ESD programme has been a game changer for us and goes to prove that there is power in partnership,” concludes Pather.
