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One of South Africa’s biggest retailers has partnered up with a local entrepreneur to help poorer families put a meal on the table for R20.

Pasta & Me, a small female-owned business founded by a mom of two, Aziza Parker, will now be able to sell their one-pot meal under the retailer’s Homegrown label. The meal includes a large portion of noodles, soya chunks, spices and dehydrated vegetables and will retail at R19.99.

Parker researched and perfected the noodle pack after seeing too many mothers struggle to feed their families in Philippi, where her family ran a supermarket.

“I wanted to create a product that could help feed families for very little money. The collaboration with Shoprite is really helping those who are struggling to put food on the table, plus it has opened the door for my business,” explains Parker.

The Pasta & Me noodle packs come in three different flavours – Steak and Chops, Jalapeno & Cheese and Roast Chicken & Veg.

Perhaps more retailers need to adopt pro-poor products. In fact, why have South Africans not yet petitioned all retail giants to keep basic kinds of stuff like bread and milk at lower prices? Cost plus 2% sounds fair. They can make it up with their R35 avos.

With the price of food rising beyond the reach of poorer families, it’s great to see there are people like Aziza Parker who look at business not just as a way of making money, but also helping others. The economic cauldron we are all in is not done boiling yet.

[source:retailbriefafrica]