NESTLÉ ESAR: All the Right Ingredients Make for Major Successes at Nestlé ESAR

One of the corporate giants of the African food industry, Nestlé operates business units across 18 markets in its East and Southern African Regional (ESAR) cluster. Around 3200 employees in the cluster help Nestlé ESAR to deliver a range of products at scale, working with retailers and customers, as well as dedicated supply chain, to manufacture and distribute far and wide. From five factories in South Africa, one in Zimbabwe, and one in Kenya, the company is well known for daily staples including milk, cereals, drinks, water, coffee, and many more essential products.

Now is an exciting time for the company, and while the industry is faced with increasing costs and rising demands around sustainability, Nestlé ESAR is pushing forward with innovative marketing, exciting product development, impactful CSR campaigns, all of which have resulted in the collection of international awards. 

In 2024, two much-loved brands in the Nestlé stable were given bright new options as the company launched the NESCAFÉ AERO Honeycomb Mocha and a new flavour option in the MAGGI noodle brand. 

The need to regularly innovate and improve has been made clear in the convenience food space where international rivals continue to challenge Nestlé’s market dominance with a constant influx of exciting initiatives. 

PRODUCT PERFECTION 

In July 2024, MAGGI held a media lunch where press and others were invited to the unveiling of the brand’s new campaign ‘Cook the Difference’ where MAGGI promised to be the complete meal and standout dish at every table. Ease of preparation was highlighted with beginner cooks and pros encouraged to try new flavours. Chicken and Beef flavours, alongside Durban Curry, completed the range, with new Hot Lazenby Worcestershire sauce also launched. 

“Consumers are increasingly aware of the impact of food on their well-being. Authenticity, transparency, and creativity are values new generations actively embrace in their vision of food, making it imperative for us to lead the conversation with aligned values, using our Cook the Difference campaign as a key communication foundation,” said Nithal Soni Ramjee, Business Executive Officer: Food at Nestlé. 

On the coffee front, the new cappuccino offering, in partnership with AERO, offers a sachet-based easy-make that is creamy and light for an aerated texture. According to Category Marketing Manager, Nivasha Pather, this new concept is about bringing a level of easy decadence to the home or workplace. 

“At NESCAFÉ, we believe that coffee plays a role in the lifestyle of consumers and our innovation principles are focused on taste, quality and simplicity. With our all-new NESCAFÉ AERO Mocha, we’ve created a decedent cappuccino experience that consumers can enjoy in the comfort of their own home in mere minutes, confirming our belief that Now is always good for a NESCAFÉ cappuccino,” she said. 

The coffee business was coming off a strong period following a big partnership announcement in May 2024 where NESCAFÉ teamed with Springbok stars Cheslin Kolbe, Eben Etzebeth, and Makazole Mapimpi to promote the brand’s positioning: ‘Make Your World’. Nestlé is championing NESCAFÉ as a small win, every day, that can alter perspectives, as Business Executive Officer for Coffee and Beverages ESAR, Carl Khoury, explains: “With the ‘Make Your World’ campaign, we want to show how something as simple as a great cup of coffee can help shift your perspective. We are thrilled to partner with Eben, Cheslin, and Makazole, three remarkable individuals who embody the values we hold close to our hearts. Their hard work, perseverance, and passion inspire not just themselves but the entire nation, bringing victory, pride, and togetherness. Each cup of NESCAFÉ is a moment to pause, reflect, and see the world anew, fostering positive ripple effects in our personal lives, communities, and beyond.” 

The association with the best of the best shows clear intent from Nestlé to position itself as the premier brand in the market and reinforce NESCAFÉ as a global coffee powerhouse.

TRANSPARENCY FOR WELLNESS  

Away from product, the company was utilising a partnership with Glamour magazine to promote the Nestlé philosophy of Good Food, Good Life. In Pretoria, Nutrition, Health, and Wellness Manager for Nestlé ESAR, Anne-Marie De Beer, led an event to promote a ‘Good for You’ strategy that focuses on a holistic approach to health and well-being. 

“Wellness is an approach to health that encompasses physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It involves deliberately making decisions that balance several elements like nutrition, exercise, rest, mental clarity, and emotional resilience to live a healthier, more satisfying life,” she said. “Part of my conversation at the Glamour event was centred around how Nestlé prioritises nutrition and wellness through product development by promoting products of high nutritional quality as part of our Good for You strategy.” 

She added that a balanced approach to wellness sees consumption of certain product split across various categories. “A key priority for Nestlé is to guide consumers towards balanced consumption. As a consumer, it’s important to choose products with high nutritional quality. This involves understanding the ingredients, prioritising taste, and maintaining a responsible, balanced lifestyle.”

To ensure good decisions are easily made, the company is also encouraging transparency and highlighting the ingredients used across all brands. Key to this is a reliable supply chain, in which Nestlé continues to invest to ensure sustainability.

SUITABLE SUSTAINABILITY  

In July 2024, Nestlé announced that it would upscale its Skimmerlkrans low carbon pilot project to include 96 dairy farms across the Garden Route. In South Africa, the company has been helping to set a new standard for sustainable milk production by introducing regenerative agriculture. The concept involves building a supply base for the NESTLÉ® NESPRAY® brand out of Mossel Bay. Reducing emissions at farms while enhancing biodiversity is not an easy choice for farmers, but Takudzwa Mupfurutsa, Business Executive Officer: Dairy at Nestlé ESAR, says the company will always provide support: “Our commitment to sustainability is unwavering. The expansion of our low-carbon pilot farm is testament to the success of regenerative agriculture in sustainable dairy farming. 

“The advancements at Skimmelkrans Dairy and the expansion to influence the other 96 farms underscores NESTLÉ® NESPRAY®’s dedication to innovation and sustainability. These efforts will continue to support local economies, provide nutrient-dense products, and protect the planet for generations to come.” 

With zero tillage, biological pest control, and use of solar power, the project offers many benefits and has been hailed by government, industry bodies, and those involved. Longer-term, the goal is to achieve net-zero emissions, as the concept has been proven to produce healthy products and a healthy environment. 

At the end of 2024, Nestlé was recognised for the good work it is doing in ESAR when it was recognised at the Assegai Awards, a ceremony that crowns successful marketing initiatives. 

The ‘Make Your World’ campaign, in partnership with the Springbok stars, was highlighted as a major success, winning an award for Integrated Campaign of the Year. The Nestlé brand MILO was also recognised, taking home the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Social Good Award. 

Nivasha Pather said: “We are incredibly proud of the collaborative effort that has gone into bringing ‘Make Your World’ to life in South Africa. The premise behind this piece of work is to demonstrate how something as simple as a great cup of coffee can help positively shift perspective, NESCAFÉ is committed to encouraging people to improve their lives every day.” 

Nestlé boasts a vast presence across ESAR, and so it has a responsibility to deliver not only for shareholders but also for the benefit of the 18 nations in which it operates. To date, this large but effective business continues to do just that—satisfying demand from clients, doing good in communities, sharing prosperity, and innovating for the future.