Management Office
Management Office, Glacier Place,
1 Sportica Crescent, Tygervalley, 7530.
Tel: +27 21 974 4000 | Fax: 086 407 0044

Danie Bower
Marketing Executive

A MAIZE MEAL COMING OF AGE

March 1999 saw the launch of what was soon to become South Africa’s brand of choice in its category, White Star Super Maize Meal. Developed by Pioneer Foods, it was well ahead of the government-instituted fortification program – being the first maize meal fortified with Vitamin A. Since then White Star has grown from strength to strength through excellent quality and unique brand communication.

In its category, White Star is the youngest of the three leading maize brands on the market, it is competing with brands that have been on the market for many decades. According to Nielsen’s Trade Desk research (July 2019), White Star is the most frequently purchased maize brand in top-end retail, while Nielsen’s AdDynamix, which tracks media spend and exposure, reveals that White Star is the most supported maize brand with the highest share of voice compared to its competitors.

White Star was the first South African brand to launch a quick-cooking super maize meal variant, White Star Quick. White Star Quick is a maize meal that is par-cooked, which means consumers only have to cook it for five to 10 minutes.

Standard maize meal requires a cooking time of 30 minutes to an hour, depending on preference. This gave consumers the opportunity to save valuable time in their busy day.

The brand has won multiple accolades over the years, most notably: favourite maize meal brand in South Africa by the Sunday Times Top Brands Survey 2018 for the ninth year in a row; winner of the Ask Africa Kasi Brands in 2019; winner of the Ask Africa Icon Brands in 2019 and was voted Product of the Year in 2018 with White Star.

Instant Porridge, to name but a few. White Star supports and gives back to the community in many ways, be it hosting South Africa’s Biggest Breakfast with White Star Instant Porridge every year or sponsoring and supporting much-loved local music concerts like Moretele Tribute Concert.

It is also a proud supporter of experiential events such as the White Star Celebrity Cook-off and the Stokvel Cooking Challenge. These brand-building exercises have the added advantage of demonstrating White Star’s versatility and taste appeal when it comes to preparing a variety of dishes.

But probably the most significant and rewarding sponsorship is the long-running involvement with Miss Soweto. The Miss Soweto pageant will be celebrating 40 years of crowning Soweto’s finest in 2019. Previous winners of this prestigious event include South African icons like Augustine Masilela-Chuene and Basetsane Kumalo. White Star is the headline sponsor of this annual event that celebrates the best Soweto has to offer.

White Star is celebrating its 20th birthday this year with a limited edition 20kg Celebration pack. This is a category-unique pack size that carries an eye-catching blue strip, sprinkled with red stars at the top of the bag, which is sure to grab the attention of shoppers and raise awareness. The prominent “20 Years Celebration” logo, on the front of the pack, is also introduced and will be used across all brand communication during the year of celebration. Here’s to another 20 years of being South Africa’s brand of choice and adding value to the lives of White Star’s loyal customers.

White Star is celebrating its 20th birthday this year with a limited edition 20kg Celebration pack.