The one family behind South Africa’s favourite Simba Chippies
Creating a legendary brand is a difficult feat for any entrepreneur, but having multiple iconic brands emerge from the same family is nothing short of inspiring.
In a country where snack time is a cherished ritual, Simba chips stand out as a beloved staple in many South African households.
Whether it’s the classic Salt and Vinegar or the bold Chutney flavour, these chips have earned their place in the hearts (and taste buds) of many.
The history of Simba chips can be traced back to a family not shy of iconic South African flavours – the Greyvensteyn family.
The Great Depression had a significant impact on economies worldwide, and the small town of Molteno in the Eastern Cape was no exception.
To support struggling families, the local dominee devised a plan: he offered women in his congregation half a crown (30 British pennies) to start small businesses. One of these women was Elizabeth Ann Greyvensteyn.
In 1939, she began baking buttermilk rusks using her family recipe, selling them at church bazaars and community events.
The demand for her rusks quickly exceeded her capacity, setting the stage for a formal family business venture where they made the now iconic Ouma Rusks.
To help out with the business, Ouma Greyvensteyn’s son Leon joined in the early 1940s and contributed significantly to its expansion.
Following the family’s successful creation and marketing of Ouma Rusks, they encountered a unique problem many could be jealous of: they had accumulated significant capital reserves but faced uncertainty about how to expand effectively.
In 1952, Ouma Greyvensteyn sent her sons abroad to gain a fresh perspective and explore new ideas for their business. While there, they attended popular food fairs, looking for inspiration to fuel the company’s growth.
It was in Germany that her son Leon first encountered and tasted a snack known as a “crisp,” which had gained popularity in Britain, the United States, and throughout Europe.
In a chance encounter, Leon then met a man by the name of Herman Lay – the American businessman who was responsible for making the widely popular Lay’s Chips.
The two men struck up a friendship, and Leon travelled to the US, where he saw the Lays potato chip factory in action.
He brought this process back to South Africa to start producing his own brand of ‘crisps,’ or as the local population would refer to them, chips.
The question then fell to what the brand would be called.
After some back-and-forth, it was decided that ‘Simba Chippie’ would best represent the brand. The name Simba means ‘Lion’ in Swahili, which was the lingua franca spoken on most of the farms of the Cape where the Greyvensteyn family originated from.
In 1957, South Africans were first introduced to the Simba Chippie for the very first time and then to Simba the Lion, who, along with the catchphrase “Roarrrs with flavour,” would become an instant hit.
Until then, crisps in Europe and the United States had only one flavour: being hand-salted by the buyer.
However, the Greyvensteyn family wanted to change this. The original Simba Chippie flavours were Cheese & Onion, Tomato Sauce and Salt & Vinegar.
Passionate about the business, Leon quickly built the brand into a highly successful, national operation. He developed a spicy mayonnaise product called Salannaise, and added Peanuts as well as further chip flavours to the product line-up.
Needless to say, the product and the brand took off and within no time, the original factory in Isando were producing tens of thousands of packets of chips, going through tons of locally-farmed potatoes and had set up a distribution network to ensure that the chips would be delivered to the stores.
However, Leon’s success also became the reason he left the company at its peak. Under pressure from his father and his younger brother, Andre, who were determined to gain control, Leon finally sold out.
In the 1950s, Andre took over the business and oversaw further expansion of the brand.
Since the brand’s introduction to the market by the Greyvenstyn family in 1957, it has had a few owners; Fedfood bought the company in 1977, then Foodcorp in 1992, and in 1999, PepsiCo acquired Simba for $100 million.
“This move placed the brand firmly in the international arena, which provides us with untold benefits in terms of global advantage, maintaining unbeatable quality and customer satisfaction,” said PepsiCo.
Apart from Simba, PepsiCo’s brands in South Africa include White Star, SASKO, Liqui Fruit, Bokomo, Weet-Bix and Lay’s.
The company currently employs approximately 12,000 South Africans across multiple sites, including three corporate offices, over 40 production facilities, and approximately 70 distribution and warehouse facilities.
In 2013, Simba Chips broke away from traditional flavours by launching a new range tailored to South African tastes, starting with the Steers Monkeygland Sauce.
Following this success, they introduced flavours like chilli biltong, Mrs Balls Chutney, smoked beef, and Mexican chilli.
While Simba chutney chips thrived, the “Choose me or lose me” campaign in 2021 led to the removal of the less popular tomato flavour. Today, flavours like Mrs Balls Chutney, tomato and onion, and beef remain popular.
Now, the Simba brand boasts a wide array of successful products, consisting of Lays, Munchiez, Ghost Pops, NikNaks, Chipniks, Fritos and Doritos.
To date, Simba Chips remains a market leader in South Africa, with billions in sales for PepsiCo. In the brand’s 67-year history, it has nearly two-thirds of the value share in the local chip market.
“Simba is a strong brand that has not only stood the test of time but has adapted and evolved to continue reflecting South Africans’ fun-loving and vibrant spirit,” said PepsiCo.
The journey of Simba Chips is a remarkable tale of innovation, resilience, and family legacy. From humble beginnings in the Eastern Cape to becoming a staple in South African snacking culture, Simba has evolved while staying true to its roots.
The Greyvensteyn family’s pioneering spirit laid the groundwork for a brand that introduced exciting flavors and adapted to consumers’ ever-changing tastes.
As Simba Chips celebrates over six decades of success, it remains a beloved icon, bringing joy and flavour to countless moments in South African life.
Read: The woman who turned a family recipe into one of South Africa’s most legendary brands
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