Bokomo
 | |
| Product type | Food |
|---|---|
| Owner | Pioneer Foods |
| Produced by | Pioneer Foods |
| Country | South Africa |
| Introduced | 1920 |
| Markets | South Africa |
| Previous owners | Independent (Boland Co-operative Millers) |
| Tagline | Good for every kind of different |
| Website | bokomo |
Bokomo Foods is a major South African food brand, and one of the country's largest cereal brands. Founded as an independent company in 1920, Bokomo is now a division of local company Pioneer Foods, which itself is a subsidiary of PepsiCo.
History
[edit]Bokomo Foods traces its origins back to (Afrikaans: Bolandse Kooperatiewe Molenaars, lit. 'Boland Co-operative Millers'), a wheat co-operative founded in 1920 by seven Western Cape farmers.[1]
In 1929, Australians Bennison Osbourne and Malcolm MacFarlane formed the British and African Cereal Co Ltd., which began producing a new type of cereal, called Weet-Bix. The two traveled to South Africa in 1948, built a factory in Cape Town, and started producing Weet-Bix there. They eventually decided to sell the product under the name Bokomo.[1]
In 1962, Dr. Fox of the Medical Research Institute of Johannesburg worked with Bokomo to research and launch the ProNutro cereal brand.[1]
In the 1980s, Bokomo opened its second Weet-Bix factory, located in Atlantis. By 1988, the product had become the most popular cereal in SA.[1]
In 1997, Bokomo merged with South African food company Sasko, to form Pioneer Foods.[2]
In March 2020, Bokomo's parent company, Pioneer Foods, was acquired by American FMCG company PepsiCo.[3][4]
In 2021, Bokomo launched a brand refresh and new corporate identity. The following year, the company celebrated its 100th anniversary.[1]
Products
[edit]As of 2026, products within the Bokomo portfolio include:
| Product type | Brand | Established | Acquired | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cereal | Weet-Bix | 1929 | 1948 | [5][6] |
| ProNutro | 1962 | 1999 | [5][7] | |
| Bokomo Corn Flakes | 1990s | In-house | [8] | |
| Bokomo Bran Flakes | In-house | [8] | ||
| OTEES | 2001 | [5][9] | ||
| Granola | Nature's Source | 1990s | 2001 | [10][11] |
| Porridge | Bokomo Oats | 1948 | In-house | [8][5][12] |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Bokomo - Our Story". Bokomo. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Pioneer Foods (Pty) Ltd and SAD Holdings Limited (23/LM/Apr02) [2002] ZACT 46 (17 July 2002)". SAFLII. 17 July 2002. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "PepsiCo SA - About Us". PepsiCo South Africa. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Trade and Industry concludes agreement on acquisition of Pioneer Foods". South African Government. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Our Story". Bokomo. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Sanitarium Weet-Bix, South Pacific Division". Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Pioneer Foods (Pty) Ltd and the cereal breakfast division of National Brands Ltd" (PDF). Competition Tribunal of South Africa. 19 April 2000. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Our Products". Bokomo. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "OTEES". Bokomo. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Nature's Source Products". Bokomo. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Pioneer Foods (Pty) Ltd and SAD Holdings Limited (23/LM/Apr02)". Competition Tribunal of South Africa. 17 July 2002. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Comprehensive National Cleaner Production Training and Assessment Programme for Experts and Companies from Different Sub-sectors of the Agro-processing Industry: Quick-scan report for Bokomo Oats Breakfast Cereals". United Nations Industrial Development Organization. 30 August 2007. Retrieved 23 August 2026.