Ignite

We began the charcoal making process in 1989 on a farm which, at that time, was a vast jungle of wattle trees. Neighbouring farmers brought their wattle timber waste to our kilns and, as a result of increased demand, we opened up new charcoal sites and trained additional forest managers to convert waste timber into charcoal. In 1992 we exported our first shipment of 7 containers and by 2007 this had grown to around 600 containers.

Ignite now supplies a lot of the major retailers in South Africa and globally. We currently supply all our markets from two factories. One at our original site where the business started and the other in Namibia, where we process hardwood charcoal made from intruder bush.

What we do

Here at Ignite, we make charcoal the simple way – using locally grown hardwoods to produce a quality product. Our charcoal factories are based on a timber farm in KwaZulu-Natal where trees are grown from seedlings. Charcoal is created in large kilns with particular emphasis being placed on producing a finished product of hard, well burned, chunky charcoal; this is then packaged, distributed to our established service channel.

Strategy and Vision

Vision statement Ignite strives to be the leader in charcoal products and to become the household brand associated with innovation and new development. Over the years, and through our experience and pioneering approach, we continue to endeavor to create and introduce products to our customers base that offer superior quality and convenience. Our corporate vision encompasses partner-based relationships that will insure that we are the supplier of choice based on our commitment to excellence and our long-term approach to customer service.

Ignite has been and will always be committed to environmentally friendly business practices both at our planet and our immediate surroundings.

Mission statement

By drawing on our experience, knowledge and professionalism, Ignite will continuously develop an internal and external culture of retaining and growing our greatest asset; namely our professional staff supplement. Through a well organised infrastructure, and sound leadership practices we will continue to create the environment or personal growth and development for all our staff.

Ignite’s mission will always be to deliver quality and service integrity, and through this we will attract and retain business partners who demand of us an innovative, loyal, honest and highly skilled supplier of choice.

Ignite is committed to further developing our distribution channel so that we will continue to provide an uninterrupted supply of Ignite products to our partners.

Values

At Ignite we are continually guided by:

• A constant ethos of improvement
• The desire to be visionary in our thinking and our products
• Long term sustainability
• Our beliefs in loyalty, ethics, honesty and reliability.

Our goal is to become the global leader, as well as the number one brand, in Braai/BBQ fuel related products.

Growth strategy

One delivery vehicle to start off with (lease, HP, or own)

Forklift to handle palletised goods (lease, rent or own)

Financing to buy the required minimum stock quantity upfront (±R500 000 could be less for smaller areas)

Minimum replenishment order quantity of a full truck load at a time (72 pallet ±R 150 000 value)