Local will always be lekker, but how would you feel about these international brands we have been mistaking as local brands?
Below are five brands that have been around for a while that many South Africans thought to be their own.
Carling Black Label
Known to many as a Zamalek, this brand of beer was developed in 1840 in Ontario, Canada by Canadian Thomas Carling. South African Breweries only began brewing Black Label in the 1960s after buying the rights to brew it here.
One could mistake the brand to be local as it is enjoyed by many and it has even sponsored Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates’ traditional pre-season friendly match since 2011.
Zam-Buk
It seems “The Real Makoya” is not South African at all. The multipurpose balm and antiseptic ointment that can be found in any South African’s pocket was founded by Charles Edward Fulford and first formulated in England in 1902 by the Zambuk Company of Leeds.
Knorr’s Aromat
If you thought that the brand Knorr was South African, you are wrong. The brand is in fact German and was founded by businessman Carl Heinrich Theodor Knorr in 1838. The company then moved to Switzerland in 1907.
The brand has produced a range of soups, stock cubes, bouillon, sauces and seasonings, one of them being Aromat (originally called ‘Pflanzenextract,’ which means ‘plant extract’ in German.)
Aromat could be dubbed a proudly South African spice. However, just like Knorr, it is not local. The seasoning was introduced to the world by Knorr employee Walter Obrist in 1952.
Sunlight
For years, Sunlight has been cleaning our dishes and bodies (who can forget that big block of green soap!) Its unique green colour is difficult to scrub away from our brains.
Centuries old, Sunlight was founded in the late Victorian era of 1885 in England by William Hesketh Lever. The product was only introduced to South Africans a few years later in 1891.
Maggi
The producer of the Durban Curry flavour of noodles, it is difficult to come to terms with the fact that Maggi – a childhood staple – is not a local brand.
The Maggi brand was founded by Swiss entrepreneur Julius Maggi in 1884, who then merged his company with Nestle in 1947.
