NEWS BLOG
Landmark moment for Black women entrepreneurs
23 May 2017 by APO and dti
Last week, the Department of Trade & Industry (dti), Woolworths and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) officially opened the doors of K9 Pet Foods’ new 3 600 m² factory premises in the Western Cape.
This opening is testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of a team of black women who put to test the intent of the Black Industrialist Programme initiated by the dti and Woolworths’ commitment in contributing meaningfully to socio-economic transformation in South Africa.
After working in pet food production for 20 years, aspiring entrepreneur, Fazielah Allie, the Managing Director of K9, purchased a small and struggling business specialising in frozen pet food in 2014. Having worked with Woolworths before, Fazielah then approached Woolworths in the hopes of turning around her new business by securing a partnership agreement.
“Our priority was to leverage on a pet food opportunity to advance our import replacement strategy that seeks to replace providers of imported products and services with local black suppliers. Knowing Fazielah’s experience and entrepreneurial spirit, we recognised that there was an opportunity to partner with her with the aim of establishing a South African produced supply of our Woolworths branded canned and pouched pet food,” says Zinzi Mgolodela, Head of Transformation at Woolworths.
With three black women at the helm, K9 Pet Foods was an ideal fit for the Woolworths Enterprise & Supplier Development programme which matches potential black-owned businesses to opportunities in the Woolworths supplier base. Various customised interventions including both financial and advisory support help the entrepreneurs in the programme to grow their businesses and create new jobs. Over the past three years, K9 has grown from 11 to 32 employees.
Thanks to the partnership agreement to supply Woolworths, Fazielah was able to secure much-needed funding from the dti’s Black Industrialist’s Incentive Scheme to the value of R20 million, and then an additional R31 million from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). This funding has been used to expand their operation and purchase the latest, state-of-the-art machinery so that they can meet Woolworths’ production requirements.
“We are very proud of Fazielah - she has embraced the principles of partnering in the Woolworths supplier base, delivered product ahead of schedule and lives our brand values. She is a dedicated businesswoman committed to producing innovative and quality products. These are attributes that we value and are at the core of our business as we strive to meet our customers’ expectations,” adds Zinzi Mgolodela, Head of Transformation at Woolworths.
With the opening of their new K9 pet food production facility in Montague Gardens, the trio of determined Cape Town women have set themselves on the entrepreneurial path to success in one the world’s top growth industries.
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OUR HISTORY
The first Woolworths store opened its doors to the public in Cape Town in October 1931. And it was founder Max Sonnenberg who captured the public’s imagination with dynamic store policies that set Woolworths apart from its competitors.
Three years later, a second branch opened in Durban, with another two in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg a year later. And since then we’ve been building on our reputation for superior quality, exciting innovation and excellent value.
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Keen to attract and retain the best retail professionals, Woolworths was among the first local retailers to offer employees a pension fund, medical aid and maternity leave.
FIRST IN ADVANCING TECH
Not just a forward thinking employer, Woolworths was also an early adopter of technology. A lease agreement for the first computer was agreed to with National Cash Registers (NCR) in the late 60s and Woolworths was already using a computerised merchandising system by the early 1970s.
FIRST TO INTRODUCE SELL BY DATES
This dynamic thinking extends to Woolworths product offering. In 1974, Woolworths became the first South African retailer to introduce ‘sell by’ dates on food packaging. Convenience, too, has long been a watchword at Woolworths - we were the first South African retailer to offer pre-washed lettuce and machine-washable wool clothing to consumers.
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At Woolworths we take our business values seriously. They aren’t just words in an annual report - they are the foundation of our business. They give us direction and guide our behaviour, actions and choices. In fact, our values are so important to us that we’re measured not only on our performance, but also by how well we live up to them.
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It means giving 100%, 100% of the time. Whether it’s making sure that a supplier is delivering to the standards we set or preparing a report, it all boils down to one thing: there’s no compromising on quality, because ‘good enough’ just isn’t good enough.
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Offering real value goes beyond offering our customers quality at a good price: it also means offering value to each other, from sharing our knowledge with colleagues and suppliers to being able to evaluate how the decisions we make affect the business.
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When you’re passionate about what you do, when you really care, your enthusiasm and belief rub off on others. At Woolies, you’re part of a 23 000-member team. Being part of a team means being an inspiration to others and being inspired by their successes and triumphs.
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While you may be familiar with some of our environmental and conservation projects, for us in a South African, and African, context, sustainability isn’t just about being ‘green’. It’s about sharing expertise, helping local enterprises to grow, and contributing to a prosperous, secure future for our country.
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