ESKORT

Food Safety Doesn't Have to Be a Disaster.   As South Africa faces a national disaster declaration over foodborne illnesses, the importance of rigorous food safety measures has never been more apparent. At Eskort, food safety is not just a priority - it's a legacy. Since 1917, Eskort has upheld world-class food safety standards. Long before "best before" dates became mandatory in 2012, we had already built a spotless record. Our close to 108-year journey reflects a steadfast commitment to biosecurity, hygiene, and compliance with international certification standards. This approach requires time, effort, and unwavering dedication—qualities that remain central to our operations.   Read more about what Arnold Prinsloo had to say about Food safety in City Press here: https://bit.ly/409DuZx

Ending 2024 on a high note with Food&Home Awards wins! We are thrilled to share that Eskort has been recognised at this year’s Food&Home Awards and featured in the summer issue of Food&Home magazine. Our products stood out to the judges, earning us: - Gold for our Streaky Bacon - And Silver for our Gold Medal Pork Sausages A heartfelt thank you to Food&Home for this honour and to our loyal customers for your continued support on this journey. As we move towards 2025, we remain committed to the values that have defined us for over a century— delivering quality you can trust since 1917. Here is to continued growth and many more milestones ahead.

Eskort opens its 30th store: The opening of Eskort’s new store in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal, yesterday marked a particularly proud moment for our growing network of stores. The store at Arbour Crossing Retail Centre is our 30th location, and the arrival of its first customers marked the end of an exciting four weeks in which we opened four new stores – including our first in the Western Cape. The excitement began on 14 November at the Newmarket development in Alberton. Our 13th Gauteng store set a record for opening-day sales, and its arrival means our outlets in the province now employ 400 young people from local communities. A week later, we made our Western Cape debut at Eden Meander Lifestyle Centre in George, where the number of people who came through the doors was a massive vote of confidence in our decision to expand into the province. The province where it all started 107 years ago in the small town of Estcourt – KwaZulu-Natal – was back in the spotlight on 28 November when we started trading at Food Lover’s Village in Cornubia. These openings are a wonderful way to round off a year in which we’ve celebrated our heritage, resilience, and adaptability. As we continue moving with the times, we’d like to thank the ever-growing community of families who put their trust in our innovative, antibiotic-free, proudly South African pork products.

When MarkLives, a leading platform for marketing, media, and advertising news, invited top marketers to share their insights on 2024’s lessons and trends, Eskort’s Marcelle Pienaar was proudly featured. Our Marketing Director said this year’s key lessons were about taking calculated risks and being a consumer champion. “In an ever-evolving market, those who dared to push boundaries and experiment with new ideas often reaped significant rewards,” she said. “We will continue to cultivate a culture of bravery that encourages our teams to step outside their comfort zones. It’s not just about trying new marketing tactics but also about adapting and pivoting quickly in response to market changes.” Eskort, founded in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal in 1917, spent this year talking about its 107-year journey to becoming South Africa’s leading pork producer, and Pienaar said this messaging had struck a chord with consumers. “Yes, it is about innovation, and yes, it is about culture and humour, but what the year has really driven home for us is that it is about quality and trust … that trust is gold.” Top of Pienaar’s 2024 trends list are clear value propositions and convenient meal solutions. “The demand for ready-to-eat meals, meal kits and easy-to-prepare food options is on the rise,” she said. “We focus on developing products that can provide quick, nutritious and hassle-free options, and communicating these lifestyle offerings effectively.” The full feature can be viewed here. https://bit.ly/4fWQ8By

Eskort Honoured with an Orchid for Our 107-Campaign! We are thrilled to share that our 107-campaign has been honoured with an Orchid by Brendan Seery in his renowned Orchids and Onions column on Bizcommunity. As Brendan so perfectly put it: “Sometimes, you don’t need a big-bang, mega-bucks TV ad to get across your brand message. Sometimes, all it takes is some out-of-the-box thinking.” That’s exactly what we did! To celebrate 107 years of delivering premium, antibiotic-free pork to South Africa, we teamed up with the creative minds at Studio H to craft 107 cakes made entirely from sausages and bacon. These unique edible creations weren’t just for display—they were distributed via SA Harvest to Salt River High School and the 123 Movement, contributing to the fight against hunger and making a real difference in our communities. Brendan summed it up great: “The campaign shows how clever PR and events can pack a highly cost-effective marketing punch.” We could not be more proud of this acknowledgment. It reflects the power of collaboration and purpose-driven initiatives to make a lasting impact. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in bringing this bold idea to life - and to Brendan for this wonderful recognition. The full article can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/3AkpkMo                         However, 107-campaign didn’t stop at sausage cakes - it featured a number of initiatives that added even more meaning to the number 107 like: A sizzling 107-second Bacon ASMR video that can be viewed on YouTube. A 107-minute in-store event at Eskort Meadowdale that took place on 10 October. 107 exclusive gift drops made to iconic South Africans who resonate with our story of legacy and longevity. A 107-character social media competition where fans have shared their first memory of Eskort to stand a chance to win one of 107 Eskort Store vouchers! 107 voices video on YouTube providing a behind-the-scenes experience from our annual choir competition, highlighting the performers, the judges, and the heartfelt emotions that go into it.

The technology changes but the values are eternal #FutureForwarding A key aspect of Eskort’s journey has been the modernisation of our factories, a testament to a century-long commitment to excellence and innovation. Wynand Nel, general manager of the Estcourt factory for more than a decade, witnessed the technological advances that transformed our operations. Everything from processing to manufacturing and safety measures has changed. Wynand says, "What once took an hour to accomplish now takes mere minutes," and he adds that mechanisation means eight tons of pork products can now be manufactured in ‘a matter of hours.’ While technology has changed at Eskort, other things haven’t. There’s still the commitment to producing world-class, premium products and delivering quality that customers can trust. That’s our heritage and our tradition, and it always will be.

Eskort 107 cakes for 107 years  When you turn 107, you definitely deserve 107 cakes. But, we didn’t just settle for ordinary cakes. As South Africa’s leading antibiotic-free pork producer delivering quality you can trust since 1917, we took it a step further – our cakes featured pork sausages and bacon, of course! The commission from Eskort went to Studio H, a culinary-minded design studio founded by Hannerie Visser, one of the world’s foremost food innovators. And Hannerie’s team did us proud, coming up with six designs for sweet and savoury cakes that honoured the products on which Eskort’s early success was built. “It’s not often a brand gets to celebrate a 107th birthday,” says Eskort Marketing Director Marcelle Pienaar. “And we wanted to do something epic to mark the occasion but also underpin it with a nod to who we are and where we have come from.” Eskort was born in the small town of Estcourt in KwaZulu-Natal when nine farmers started the Farmers Cooperative Bacon Factory in 1917. It started making sausages in 1920, and they won a gold medal at that year’s Rand Easter Show. These days, Eskort has more than 300 world-class pork products, ranging from high-end fresh cuts to convenience meals and staples. But Gold Medal pork sausages remain a favourite with South African consumers, and more than 300 of them decorated Studio H ’s focaccia cakes, which had an onion jam base and cream cheese icing. Bacon decorations were dotted around the vanilla buttercream icing covering the sweet vanilla cakes. The delicious creations didn’t just stay on display. Thanks to the efforts of SA Harvest, they were distributed to Salt River High School in Cape Town and the 123 Movement, a non-profit company that aims to bridge the gap between the disadvantaged and the privileged by eradicating hunger and purposelessness. “Birthdays are a big family occasion, and these cakes were an expression of the family values that have sustained Eskort over the years,” says Pienaar. “Many people call us a ‘family corporate’, so celebrating our birthday with delicious cakes seemed very fitting”. “The cakes were a huge hit, and they proved that with imagination and innovation there’s really no limit to the versatility of pork.” Project credits: Shoot production, concept and creative direction: Studio H Culinary production: Studio H Cake decoration: Sweet LionHeart Stills shoot: Nikki Symons Video: Jeff Moffat

The heartwarming community spirit of small towns #FutureForwarding It’s easy to imagine the excitement in Estcourt, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, when the prime minister of the Union of South Africa, General Louis Botha, arrived on June 6, 1918 to open the new ‘bacon factory’ by the Bushman’s River. The building was funded by local farmers, and its construction would have been eagerly monitored by residents of the small town. This sense of a community project, also tangible at Eskort’s operation in another small town, Heidelberg in Gauteng, has never gone away, and even though the company now has over 2,000 staff, directors know their names and see them as family members. Connections with communities around its factories and shops mean Eskort knows better than most about the rising malnutrition crisis among underprivileged children, and it was heartwarming to see those communities responding so generously when the company launched it’s Feed the Future initiative. Donations from customers shopping at Eskort, along with Eskort’s own contributions, enabled eight stores to donate hotdogs to underprivileged schools. In July, Eskort Centurion donated hotdogs to 2,500 learners at Dr. Mathole Motshekga Primary School. As the number of stores grows, their charitable efforts continue to expand. Eskort was particularly proud of the way its staff in a small Eastern Cape town, Queenstown, responded to flooding in February 2023. After more than 1,000 people were evacuated from their homes, the store distributed 2,000 hotdogs in partnership with Gift of the Givers. With family values, community spirit and a sense of place embedded in its DNA, Eskort is committed to supporting South Africans in good times and bad.

Eskort farmers open a restaurant … for vultures #FutureForwarding Eskort’s farmers have established vulture restaurants in a significant stride towards ecological balance. It provides a safe food source for the dwindling vulture population in Southern Africa, which performs a critical ecological function in its role as nature’s clean-up crew. After the restaurant opened, it was 18 months before vultures discovered it. Today, however, it is more popular than ever with these beautiful birds, and it plays an increasingly important role in sustaining them. By nurturing ecological relationships, Eskort reinforces the importance of the interconnectedness of agriculture and nature. Elimination of waste is one of the principles that has guided Eskort for more than a century, and the company’s commitment to a sense of place – and meeting the needs of that place – will never waver. This continuity embedded in our culture means we can confidently envision a waste-free future in which eco-friendly practices go beyond doing good to doing good business.

Eskort’s Liberi wine partnership raises R2m for underprivileged children The third collaboration between Eskort, Saronsberg Cellar and a leading South African artist has raised R2 million for vulnerable children. Proceeds from the Liberi (Latin for children) wines – a limited edition 2021 Shiraz and a 2020 Chardonnay, with labels by Norman Catherine – were handed to the Beeld-Kinderfonds on Monday 9 September 2024. The fund’s chief executive, Adrie van Staden, said the R2 million would be distributed to 20 child development projects and benefit more than 8,000 underprivileged children. Eskort Chief Executive Arnold Prinsloo thanked Nick van Huysteen, the owner of Saronsberg wine estate, former Saronsberg cellarmaster Dewaldt Heyns, who was the Tulbagh estate’s winemaker for two decades until his departure last year, and Norman Catherine. “Last year, Dewaldt was recognised in the Master Winemaker 100 Report as one of the world’s elite winemakers, and he was our enthusiastic partner for three editions of Liberi wines,” said Prinsloo. “The Shiraz and Chardonnay carrying the Liberi label will be prized by collectors, especially the limited number of bottles that were signed by Dewaldt and Norman Catherine. “We’re also grateful to Norman, who contributed several of his signature surrealist faces for the labels. The combination of fine art and fine wine is a match made in heaven and helped us to achieve an ambitious fundraising target for the Beeld-Kinderfonds.” Van Staden thanked everyone involved in the Liberi project and said the fund was privileged to be its beneficiary. “South Africa has so many vulnerable children and this money will go a long way towards unlocking their potential,” she said. The fund supports development projects offered by established welfare organisations which assist children who have experienced poverty, starvation, neglect and abuse. The Shiraz Liberi was sold for R1,320 for a case of six bottles (R2,450 for signed bottles) and the Chardonnay for R850. The first Liberi wine, a 2018 Bordeaux blend, featured six artworks by Sam Nhlengethwa and raised R800,000 for two children’s homes in Heidelberg, the small town in Gauteng where the artist was born and Eskort has a factory. Claudette Schreuders contributed six lithographs for the second Liberi, a 2017 Pinotage Reserve, and the proceeds went to the Atterbury Trust for the education of young people and other cultural upliftment projects.