Premier FMCG, one of South Africa’s oldest and most iconic food producers, has long been synonymous with staple brands like Blue Ribbon, Snowflake and Iwisa. But in recent years, the company has quietly rewritten its playbook expanding the personal hygiene market. While the pivot didn’t involve retrofitting bread lines into pad machines, it did require something just as bold—acquiring a business, inheriting its team and integrating a new category into its existing operations. Founded in 1824, Premier FMCG earned its reputation as a trusted provider—known as Cape Town bakery—in the baking industry. In 2011, when international investment group Brait S.E. acquired a majority shareholding in the business, and under the guidance of CEO Kobus Gertenbach, the company began to diversify—first into sugar confectionery, then into home and personal care. This new focus necessitated a new brand identity and Premier Foods became Premier FMCG. Based on the information from their website, the femcare products include non-applicator tampons, applicator tampons, maxi pads, ultra pads, pantyliners, maternity products and an intimate care range. Lil-lets is a leading brand in the broader feminine hygiene category in South Africa and the U.K.dom, with a flexible supply chain covering South Africa, Europe and Asia.  Dove Cotton is South Africa’s number one cottonwool brand.  In Durban, the group manufactures non-applicator and applicator tampons and pads. Premier is actively growing its marketshare in feminine hygiene, both in South Africa and internationally with Lil-lets being a key brand. The company is seeking new markets for its hygiene products, including Saudi Arabia, as part of its Middle East expansion strategy. The company owns a significant portion of its distribution and warehousing, providing a cost advantage. Premier’s entry into hygiene wasn’t a ground-up build—it was a calculated acquisition. Purchasing Lil-lets gave Premier immediate access to a full product portfolio (tampons, pads, pantyliners, maternity products), manufacturing infrastructure, a skilled team with category expertise and international distribution channels. This international reach positions Premier as a rare African FMCG player with global distribution in a high-growth category. Today the business has an annual turnover of R18.6 billion, employing over 8600 employees in various operations.

Overcoming the Challenges in a New Category

Diversification into feminine hygiene required investment in new infrastructure, including a dedicated plant in Durban for sanitary pad production. The production of tampons, pads  and liners demanded entirely different machinery, cleanroom environments and supply chains tailored to absorbent hygiene materials like nonwovens, backsheet films and SAP (superabsorbent polymers). There were also new regulatory and quality standards to be met.  Unlike food-grade compliance, feminine hygiene falls under strict medical and hygiene regulations. Premier had to implement new ISO-aligned quality systems, traceability protocols and staff upskilling in hygiene compliance. It marked the company’s first foray into device-grade production standards. In South Africa, Premier had to reposition the Lil-lets brand, reach new consumers and shift the consumer perception of Premier. While Premier held strong consumer trust in food, it had little brand equity in personal care. The Lil-lets brand had to be differentiated, with its own identity built around comfort, choice and discretion. Premier invested in relaunching packaging, messaging and retail branding to signal this distinction. Feminine hygiene products follow a different distribution logic from baked goods. A complete shift from bread shelves to pharmacy aisles was necessary. Premier had to rewire its route-to-market strategy, entering pharmacy chains like Clicks and Dis-Chem and competing against multinational brands with deep category experience. Periods remain a culturally sensitive topic in many parts of South Africa. Lil-lets took a proactive stance to address menstrual stigma and tackling social and economic barriers by investing in content, workshops and partnerships with educators and health workers to break the silence and normalize menstrual health conversations. The other hurdle to be overcome was making sanitary products more accessible in most countries on the continent. Premier backed the campaign for zero-rating VAT on sanitary products, which came into effect in 2019. Yet even with tax relief, affordability remained a challenge. Lil-lets responded by introducing a range of price-sensitive SKUs and expanding distribution to reach under-served markets. Feminine hygiene required significant capital investment, from new lines and cleanrooms to brand campaigns. Balancing these costs with ongoing needs in core food categories required careful prioritization and executive alignment on long-term ROI. It required managing competing investment priorities at the strategic levels of the business as well as building new talent and expertise. Premier recruited experts in product development, clinical testing and women’s health. Marketing teams shifted to become more female-led and digitally fluent, while partnerships with NGOs and community health advocates deepened Premier’s understanding of the market.

Lessons for African FMCG Companies

Premier’s transformation offers a compelling blueprint for other African manufacturers. Diversification can unlock value if aligned with unmet needs. Social impact initiatives are not just good PR—they drive trust and loyalty. In successfully bridging the gap between wheat and women’s wellness, Premier FMCG has demonstrated that with bold leadership and strategic clarity, African companies can rewrite their playbooks for growth and relevance. Among Premier’s successes in feminine care, their R&D efforts also delivered other innovations like organic tampons and Lil-lets feminine wipes, which are soothing for intimate skin thanks to chamomile extract. Consumers can enjoy everyday freshness while maintaining pH balance. They are designed by women, for women. These feminine wipes gently freshen up body parts with chamomile, known to soothe and calm for everyday freshness. Having gained confidence in this new femcare category, Premier recently acquired a share in a U.K.-based niche skin treatment range under the brand Science of Skin (SOS), a specialized skincare line developed in the U.K. This is a great extension of Premier’s hygiene and personal care portfolio extending it reach from essential hygiene products into specialist skincare – a high-margin, clinically oriented market. By investing in a brand built on surgeon-led formulation and clinical testing, Premier gains legitimacy in a category demanding scientific rigor, beyond FMCG to medical-grade skincare.