Promofresh is a South African fresh produce promotional agency, run by Ruth Behr, who has worked with Hortgro, Potatoes SA, the South African Avocado Growers' Association, among others, to open up new markets domestically. She and her team run promotions at the country’s fresh produce markets, in supermarkets but, most innovatively, at informal retail points in black townships and transport hubs.
There is a growing consumption of potatoes by the black middle class in South Africa. In April last year Promofresh worked with Potatoes SA to promote and stimulate potato sales by informal vendors in townships and transport hubs (like taxi ranks). At pre-selected stalls, decorated with banners and bunting, potato dishes, prepared according to recipes available in the promotional brochures, were offered to the public.
More than 20,000 consumers in the three provinces of Gauteng, Northwest and Limpopo were advised on potato storage and preparation while being consulted on their preferences over the month of the campaign.
An interesting finding was that almost half of respondents regarded potatoes as a vegetable, rather than a starch. Of a small sample of 341 consumers, 49% reported eating maize meal (corn meal) every day, while 31% said they eat potatoes two to three times a week.
Potatoes SA regard the promotion as “a phenomenal success” and there were strong potato sales. “Townships are a golden treasure trove of endless opportunities for growth and realising increased per capita consumption,” writes Immaculate Zinde, market development manager of Potatoes SA, in Chips, the potato industry’s magazine.
Domestic marketing of sharon fruit along the same lines has proved similarly successful. Four years ago Arisa, Mor International’s packhouse near Swellendam in the Southern Cape, started working with Behr to acquaint South Africans with the fruit. Originally the focus was on the conventional retail sector, but Behr decided to reach a wholly underdeveloped market - that of informal fresh produce sellers in Gauteng, who make up an increasing segment of buyers at the fresh produce markets. Her company has set up promotional stalls at the Johannesburg and Pretoria fresh produce markets to introduce the fruit to buyers, with brochures describing its health benefits.
They would then maintain contact with buyers who had acquired a certain volume of sharon fruit, visiting them at their places of trade, like the taxi rank at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (third largest hospital in the world), and through bright displays and lots of tasting samples, assist them in marketing. In 2016 they conducted 65 such street stall promotions throughout Gauteng.
“Interest really has grown tremendously, up to a point where people will now ask when the sharon fruit season will start. We also teach informal street vendors about food safety and product handling. Traders like sharon fruit because it has a longer shelf life than, say, grapes, and it doesn’t bruise easily. Consumers are attracted to sharon fruit by its sweetness because and it’s unlike any other fruit. Also, people buying fruit at a street stall prefer larger fruit which they can eat immediately, not like in a supermarket where you buy a whole full bag to take home,” Behr says.
Ruth Behr’s promotional work within the South African fresh produce industry has been described as “brilliant” by the marketing manager of a major fruit producer.
Behr formerly worked at the now defunct South African Potato Board, but saw a gap in the promotion of fresh produce amongst South African consumers. “I’m passionate about nutrition. My aim is getting people to eat more fresh fruit.”
For more information:Ruth Behr
Promofresh
Tel: +27 82 388 0100
Email: ruth@promofresh.co.za