Natural products, whole foods, and high nutritional values. When it comes to feeding a family, you don’t have to be a crunchy mom or dad to choose clean, healthy living. In fact, the benefits of these types of products are well-known and have become something every parent aspires to.
That’s exactly what Dorothy Dolly Fatima noticed in the market and what led her to launch PojuPoju, a young South African baby food brand that produces pouches of natural food.
Fatima was born in Marapong on the border of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. After graduating from high school, she obtained a degree in Electrical Engineering. What followed was a long career in engineering that required a lot of technical expertise. She furthered her education with a BTech: Quality at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), and a Management Development Programme (MDP) certificate with UNISA School of Business Leadership (UNISA SBL).
Knowing this about her is important because this engineering mindset is something that she has carried with her and is even visible in the products her company produces today.
The Story of PojuPoju
Fatima was involved in another business that manufactured baby food, but due to creative differences, she decided to step down and pursue what she saw as the need for: Food that is more than a product, something that provides families with more than just nutrition.
One key difference that Fatima has brought to PojuPoju is the squeeze pouch that doesn’t require a spoon to feed children, can be used on the go, and doesn’t take up too much space in a bag. It is also something that toddlers can hold and feed themselves. This function is also hidden in the name; little ones can squeeze-squeeze the puree themselves. “For South Africans, many will also recognise that poju-poju also means that a child wants to be picked up and held,” says Thembi Motloung, Versatile Operations Manager for PojuPoju.
At its core, PojuPoju baby puree is a completely natural product that has no artificial colourants, flavours or preservatives, and is packaged in a pouch with a cap that can be repurposed as a toy.
The product is aimed at young children from the age of seven months, but it can be consumed by anyone within a family: the preschooler enjoying a healthy snack, all the way to gogo who is struggling with her dentures. Even patients who struggle to eat solid food can still benefit from this nutritious product.
“The idea behind the product is to ensure that this puree isn’t just feeding the body, but also the mind,” Motloung shares.
“We have seven delicious flavours. These are carrot and sweet potato, guava and blueberries, pear, pear and banana, apple and banana, and apple. What’s on the pouch is what’s in the pouch. Nothing else has been added.”
Engineering a New Product
As mentioned earlier, Fatima’s background in engineering has influenced the overall design of the product. Two design decisions that stand out about the product are its unique cap and the simple, yet colourful designs.
Firstly, the cap: It is an anti-choke lid that has been designed to be used as a building block. “So, we reuse the cap after the food has been eaten. By collecting these building blocks, youngsters can use them to develop their fine motor skills (lifting, building, playing), cognitive skills (learning about balance, shape, sorting), creative problem-solving (using their imagination to build interesting shapes and build spatial awareness), and emotional and social intelligence (fostering group play and building communication),” Motloung explains.
The second decision is seen in the colours. “Toddlers learn about different colours through the various packaging, yet the colours aren’t so bright that it’s overstimulating.”
Food Safety and Compliance
As a baby food manufacturer, it is imperative that PojuPoju has food-safe products that meet the standards and expectations of consumers. “This is why we are Halaal compliant, Kosher compliant and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) compliant, which emphasises food safety – something all parents are concerned about.”
It is all natural, so the meal is healthy and nutritious.
“We understand that mums are concerned about the safety and well-being of their children; they care about what they feed their children. Our products meet these standards in terms of compliance and safety, as well as quality ingredients that are free from preservatives, artificial flavours and colours,” she adds.
The business is still relatively new, so looking forward, the goals focus on expanding their visibility on supermarket shelves and building awareness for the product range.
“Market access has been slow, but considering that we are almost two years old, we’ve achieved a lot,” she highlighted. “Consumers can order the products online via our website, Takealot or the Proudly SA shop.”
