From Molteno to Market Leader: The enduring legacy of Ouma Rusks

A heritage brand, Ouma Rusks have been part of South African kitchens for more than 85 years, and is still a popular accompaniment to morning coffees, parent company RCL’s results showed this morning.

Ouma Rusks’ own story begins in the 1930s in Molteno in the Northern Cape.

Elizabeth Ann Greyvensteyn, known as Ouma, started baking rusks from a family recipe and sold them to raise money for missionary work following a church meeting.

Orders quickly spread beyond Molteno, reaching Johannesburg and other towns. Within a short period, what began as a small community effort grew into one of South Africa’s most recognisable food products.

Production has remained on the original Friedenburg farm in Molteno. The recipe and basic baking method are unchanged, although over the years the brand has added new variants and updated packaging.

The product continues to be associated with the traditional practice of dunking rusks in coffee or tea, a ritual familiar to generations of South Africans.

The business has also been a major source of employment in Molteno. In 2017, a R50 million investment was made to replace a bakery facility that had been in use for more than 50 years. The new facility helped secure jobs and maintain the town’s economic base.

RCL Foods’ year-end results to June, released on Monday, show that Ouma, alongside peanut butter brand Yum Yum, is a category leader in the culinary division and has grown market share.

In the year, revenue for the unit gained 1.8% to R5.4 billion, with an underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation – a key indicator of profit – at a margin of 10.9%

RCL Foods itself has a long history in South Africa. Its origins go back to 1891, when the Rutowitz flour mill was established in Pretoria.

The business, known as Rainbow Chickens for years, expanded into animal feed in 1916 and later grew through Rainbow Chicken, which began operations on a farm in Hammarsdale in 1960 and listed on the JSE in 1989.

After acquiring Foodcorp, Rainbow Chicken rebranded as RCL Foods in 2013. A decade later, Rainbow Chicken was unbundled and listed separately on the JSE.

Over the decades, Ouma Rusks has maintained its position as a heritage brand while remaining commercially relevant. It is sold nationally and has adapted to changing consumer preferences through new product variants and updated packaging, while keeping the original recipe central to the brand.

From its beginnings in a small kitchen in the Northern Cape to a product that continues to appear on South African shopping lists today, Ouma Rusks demonstrates how a food brand with deep roots can retain both market presence and cultural significance.

Its longevity and continued market performance reflect not only consumer familiarity, but the enduring appeal of products linked to tradition and routine.

IOL Business