Husband and wife team lands multi-million rand Shoprite contract

Thina and Mike Maziya.

Established by the husband and wife team in 2001, Verigreen has been manufacturing a range of drawstring refuse bags since 2012 and has expanded its range to include cooking, baking, freezing and food protection products.

Eco-conscious brand

The raw materials for Verigreen products are provided by a group of 'Supa Mamas', which is also the name of their flagship brand available in Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets nationally. The Supa Mamas annually supply Verigreen with 360 tonnes of clean plastic waste, which is then recycled to manufacture their refuse bag products.

“We pride ourselves on being environmentally responsible and socially conscious, a brand which is doing well while doing good. The Housebrand and Ritebrand business has been awarded on the back of our success in product innovation and our customer-centric business practice,” says Thina Maziya, Verigreen’s co-founder and head of marketing.

The Maziyas are confident that their business will be able to meet the increased demand for their products. They are looking to extend their Supa Mama programme beyond KwaZulu-Natal, where they are based, and the growth in business from the Group will certainly create additional job opportunities.

“I am acutely aware of the shortage of black suppliers in major retail, so to land this business as a black and relatively young manufacturing entity attest to the fact that the Shoprite Group is indeed committed to giving market access to local entrepreneurs,” says Thina.

“It is crucial that retailers make a concerted effort to not only procure goods from established suppliers but also to get involved in the development of small to medium enterprises, as the development of businesses like ours contributes significantly to job creation and economic growth in South Africa,” she concludes.