SA's edible crockery excites global taste buds

SA is still the land of styrofoam and plastic takeaway food containers, but it’s also the home of what is believed to be the world’s first edible bowl.

Georgina de Kock invented Munch Bowls in 2014, and her Cape Town factory is supplying the products to countries including Germany, Dubai, Singapore and Belgium.

“They taste like Provita,” she said.

De Kock was an exhibitor at the first Africa Halal Week, held in Cape Town last year, and said the deals were thanks to meetings with buyers who attended.

She will be exhibiting at this year’s event, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from Monday to Wednesday, alongside more than 50 other businesses keen to secure their share of the growing worldwide halal sector.

“You cannot [do international business] anywhere without halal,” said De Kock.

She has also been selected to attend next year’s world expo, Expo 2020, in Dubai, and is one of 27 exhibitors out of 700 entrants awarded a grant for the final stage of the “expo live innovation impact grant programme”.

In Dubai, she will be exposed to 25 million visitors at an event that is expected to boost the economy of the United Arab Emirates by $34.5bn (about R526bn).

Africa Halal Week, with a few dozen exhibitors and about 35 buyers, is a different proposition, but David Maynier, the Western Cape finance and economic opportunities MEC, said last year’s inaugural event resulted in trade declarations worth about R200m.

“The event presents opportunities for delegates and exhibitors to engage and network in an effort to learn about the global halal economy, while simultaneously creating long-term business relationships,” said Maynier.

“What is exciting about this year’s trade fair is the new diary system which ... tracks all exhibitors and matches them to relevant buyers, facilitating strategic meetings and discussions.”

Buyers from SA will rub shoulders with counterparts from Mozambique, the US, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, India, the UK, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana.

Exhibitors come from sectors such as Islamic banking, modest fashion, film and media promotion, cuisine, and investment and trade.

De Kock said she came up with the idea of Munch Bowls after complaining about the amount of waste on the street and in the catering industry. “Someone told me to do something about it and so I did,” she said.

In addition to being halal, the product is vegan and free of artificial preservatives, flavouring, yeast and genetically modified products.

De Kock makes 250ml bowls, 100ml saucers and 30ml canape containers in plain and sweet flavours. They have a shelf life of at least 15 months and “can hold any foods, including hot soups, for more than five hours, while maintaining their crispness”.

When the food they carry has been consumed, the bowls can be composted ... or munched.

“Our passion is to inspire a conscious lifestyle by giving an alternative choice to the convenience food, catering and hospitality industry, locally and internationally,” she said.

As for next October in Dubai, De Kock is raising funds for the development of new edible products she hopes to showcase there, including spoons and chopsticks.