Popping onto shelves across the country is a small tin with a gigantic passion behind it. Gogo’s Morogo is the canned, read-to-eat marog available in three delicious flavours. SME South Africa spoke to the man who is bringing marog to a new market.
Morogo wa Thepe or marogo (Setwana), also known as Umfino, Imbuya (isiXhosa), Utyutu (isiZulu), marog or Amarath (English), has always been a staple to many South Africans. Yearly, after the first spring rains, the plant naturally appears in open fields and backyard gardens, making it a well-known traditional African vegetable. For those who are unfamiliar with marog, the plant is often affectionately called African wild spinach, being similar in taste and appearance when cooked. It is rich in nutrients such as protein and includes minerals such as iron and calcium, and vitamins A, C, B1 and B2.
Usually, the crop isn’t available all year round. Yet, that is changing. Thanks to the innovation that is Gogo’s Morogo, the veggie is canned and available to consumers who don’t have access to the plant otherwise.
Ricardo Hood is the man behind the can. His small business was birthed when he met a farmer from the Free State. “He grows morogo commercially and sells it to the mines,” Ricardo explains. “He showed me that Morogo could be planted on a commercial scale.”
Seeing this work, gears started turning in Ricardo’s head.
Food for Thought and Memories
“I grew up eating morogo, but when I moved to the city, I no longer had access to the plant or space to even sow it.
“After I met the farmer who planted it as a commercial crop, the idea of always having morogo available out of season started the journey. I knew there would be a market for having morogo conveniently available throughout the year because it is a food that is known and enjoyed by most South Africans.”
Ricardo recalls picking marogo leaves with his grandmother. “I decided on the name because as a child, I would visit Gogo and pick the leaves around her home,”
Humble Beginnings Like Any Small Business
Like any business, Gogo’s Morogo was first a seed that grew into the fruitful endeavour it is today. “Starting small was not by design,” he admits. “However, because this is a ‘new’ product, trust and confidence needed to be built. A lot of customer education and awareness was and still is required.
“I was fortunate to gain the trust of an independent Spar owner who decided to give me an opportunity in his store. Partnering with a known and trusted retailer gave credibility to the product and a platform to build upon. Local stores required more intense and regular marketing and promoting at the store level to make customers aware of the availability of the product.”
The biggest challenge Ricardo experienced thus far in his journey is in access to the market. Fortunately, by participating in SME development programs of the two major retailers, namely Foodlovers Market and Shoprite/Checkers, the business is well on its way to attaining national recognition.
“My company then got an opportunity to supply Foodlover’s Market on a national basis and selected Checkers Hyper stores in Gauteng. As our capacity increases, we will then be able to increase our footprint within Checkers, and later Shoprite, stores.”
A Journey Filled with Ups and Downs As All Entrepreneurs Know
He has previously stated that in developing the product, the company empowers subsistence farmers by partnering with them to cultivate the morogo.
Ricardo explains that the canning process safely gives the product its three-year shelf life. “My long-term objective is to set up a cannery,” he elaborates. “However, capital remains a huge cost barrier at the start-up stages.”
The most interesting part of Ricardo’s journey has been his client interactions during tastings. “One day, I was once doing tastings and an elderly gentleman started to tear up after tasting. He explained that the product tasted just how his late mother had prepared it in the KZN Midlands. Tasting it just reminded him of her,” he adds. “There are also a few other customers who didn’t believe that morogo can be canned.”
Ricardo says that as a small business owner, he learnt to be motivated by rejection. “I tell myself ‘I’ll show you’. I am also fortunate to have an awesome support structure that believes in my vision. I remember once being asked if I think I am the new Popeye. We now laugh about it and I sometimes call my partner Olive,” he smiles.
