SUCCESS STORY
CAPE FLATS-BASED ENERGY DRINK DUIDELIK® HAS HIT THE SHELVES
Cape Town is an established food and drink hub and is well-known for the range of high-quality drinks produced and manufactured locally. In recent years, the soft drink market has been steadily rising and regarding energy drinks specifically, the local economic landscape indicates a positive trend towards this sub-sector.
With a growing local market and room to introduce a competitive, proudly South African offering, KaapseBru founders Hylton Mitchell and Allistair Bunding have launched Duidelik®, a new energy drink that hit the shelves of spaza shops on Heritage Day.
Ahead of their market launch, the Duidelik® pair held an intimate and exclusive launch event, and hosted the Mayco Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, Alderman James Vos, who stated that:
“A main priority of the City of Cape Town is to generate and maintain the right conditions to attract investment, grow the economy and create jobs. We have the highest rate of entrepreneurship in the country and Cape Town consistently has the lowest unemployment rate of all metros. In large part this is due to people like the founders of Duidelik®.
The City offers support to SMMEs through the Business Hub, which I launched in August 2019. The Business Hub is on hand to help entrepreneurs set up or improve their business and can help with any part of the process, including connecting SMMEs with business partners, funders, support organisations, or municipal departments. The City and my team will continue to work to provide the right conditions for entrepreneurs to flourish and to push economic opportunities to all corners of the city.”
The entrepreneurial team describes KaapseBru as a dynamic Cape Flats business underpinned by the rich and diverse history that has shaped Cape Flats culture. According to Mitchell,
“Our business came as a result of COVID-19, as we realised (that) we need(ed) to develop international products that can compete on the global landscape. We were pushed to think of new industries to develop new brands and hopefully make some money in the process. We want to make a difference to communities on the Cape Flats.”
With this in mind, Duidelik® was conceived to not only meet local energy drink demand, but stimulate discussion and raise awareness. The 500ml aluminium can incorporates design elements that both celebrate and comment on Cape Flats characteristics.
Each can shows an Anti-GBV logo and a portion of all Duidelik® sales will be donated to the Saartjie Baartman Centre in Manenberg. Additionally, short stories showcasing historical heroes and heroines are included in the can design, spotlighting figures across industries and movements with the intent to inspire and support Cape Flats communities. What’s more, the Duidelik® logo shows a passion gap (a toothless smile) which is a nod to another cultural characteristic of Cape communities.
When asked about the role of KaapseBru in Cape Town and abroad, Mitchell explained that, “We want to showcase that the Cape Flats can also be a place of opportunity, where new and creative industries can make a difference in the world and share our culture with the world.”
Having conceived, developed, and launched a new energy drink offering during a global health pandemic, which has negatively impacted local economic growth and movement, KaapseBru illustrates how a tenacious attitude and resilient mindset can result in success despite the lockdown.
In asking Mitchell about the vision for KaapseBru for 2020 and beyond, the response detailed a number of expansions into other recovering local sectors, such as clothing and textiles, music and events, as well as hotels and day resorts.
If you’re interested in sampling Duidelik® and supporting the KaapseBru initiative to raise awareness and stimulate discussion, bulk orders can be placed via their website. Alternatively, swing by your local spaza shop for a quick fix.
