Simba, Bloemfontein

As amazing as it may sound, this billion Rand Company was born out of the vision of an old lady from the Eastern Cape, Mrs Greyvenstein. Affectionately known as Ouma Greyvenstein, this loveable and caring grandma planted a seed that would one day germinate into a snack empire that spanned all across Africa and became an important part in the world’s biggest snack and beverage company.

So, how did Ouma get the ball rolling, or more to the point, how did she get the chips frying? Back in 1939 things weren’t going too well for the world. World War Two was looming large and in Molteno, a small town in the Eastern Cape, things weren’t looking too bright either. Times were tough but things were about to get a lot better because Ouma Greyvenstein started making her now famous Ouma Rusks. This project helped the community generate much needed funds while supplying South Africa with its favourite rusk.

Her son, Leon, decided to diversify the family business and in 1952 he bumped into Herman Lay, who by then has been marketing chips for years. These two started talking and Leon came back to South Africa to start production on Simba chips. It was at this precise moment in time that Simba became a reality.