From 24 Jars to National Shelves: How Chuck Chilli Conquered South African Retail
- Boikano Sikwane and Tshepiso Manyoha formally launched Chuck Chilli Foods in 2019 after starting with just 24 jars
- The business scaled from a home garage to supplying major South African retailers, including Food Lover's Market and Pick 'n Pay
- After securing purchase order funding for a massive 35,000-unit order, Chuck Chilli has expanded into a 400m² factory and begun exporting to Dubai
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Source: Original
Two South African entrepreneurs have turned a simple family relish recipe into a thriving national brand available on major supermarket shelves. Founders Boikano Sikwane and Tshepiso Manyoha built Chuck Chilli Foods from a small-scale operation into an expanding business supplying top retail chains across the country.
The journey began when Sikwane started making her family's chunky chilli relish for loved ones. In 2018, her future business partner, Manyoha, tasted the relish at a family gathering and requested a batch. He took 24 jars into his office, and they sold out by the end of the day, sparking the idea to turn the recipe into a commercial business. The duo formally launched Chuck Chilli Foods in 2019.
From garage cooking to major retail deals
In the early stages, the co-founders managed every part of production by hand. Chillies were chopped manually to preserve the signature chunky texture, while bottles were sourced locally and labels printed at a local shop. Sikwane handled production during the day, while Manyoha, who was working full-time as an IT consultant, joined her in the evenings to cook, bottle, and label the relish.
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To get the product on shelves, they sold at flea markets and directly approached independent Spar stores, restaurants, and chisa nyamas. Moving production out of their garage introduced new financial demands, including food certification, lab testing, and suitable premises.
A breakthrough came when Chuck Chilli entered a Food Lover's Market competition. Although they did not win, a buyer who tasted the relish later placed an order for 15,000 bottles. At the time, the business was only producing 300 to 500 bottles on a production day, but they successfully delivered the order to land on major retail shelves.
Source: Original
Overcoming funding challenges to go global
With demand rising, the business expanded its operational footprint at the Riversands Incubation Hub from 50m² to 150m². Its biggest milestone arrived in 2026, when Pick 'n Pay issued a massive order for 35,000 units — exceeding the brand's total output from the entire previous year. To finance the upfront expenses for ingredients, packaging, and labour, the co-founders turned to traditional lenders.
When they did not qualify, they secured purchase order finance through alternative funder Sourcefin to fulfil the order. Seven years after starting with 24 jars, Chuck Chilli has relocated into a 400m² factory. Beyond its national supermarket footprint, the brand has sent its first pallet to Dubai as it sets its sights on further international expansion.
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Source: Briefly News
