Razia’s Pickle is a mother-daughter team hailing, originally, from a sleepy town called Kimberley in the Northern Cape.
 

Razia, a 72-year old retiree, lived in Kimberly her entire life until she moved to Pretoria in 2019 to be with her daughter, Kareema. Going from a tight-knit community to living in a security estate with strangers as neighbours, was quite the adjustment. To cope with the boredom, Razia started making her delicious Indian-style pickles and sauces for Kareema’s friends and colleagues.

 These pickles and sauces have always been pantry staples for our family. In fact, pickles have been in Razia’s family for generations and she learnt most of what she knows from her own mother who used to make potfuls of traditional Indian pickles on a regular basis. The sauces and pickles were such a hit with Kareema’s friends that the duo started receiving orders for more.

Next thing you know, we were invited to a tiny little neighbourhood street market where we got a similar reaction. That was followed by a bigger market and an even bigger market thereafter. Things quietened down a bit during the initial COVID-19 lockdown which gave us time to work on our branding, new products and plans for the future. Once the lockdown restrictions eased, our small family-owned venture started to show real promise.

Kareema, a full-time attorney, realised a great passion for business and decided to take the plunge to pursue Razia’s Pickle full-time. She still consults but her dream is to make Razia’s Pickle a staple in every South African’s home.

It was also during this time that the duo evolved into a trio with the full-time hire of former domestic worker, Fortunate, as Production Manager. Fortunate, a smart, hard-working and ambitious young woman now looks forward to a brighter future for her and her family with the growth of the business.

Razia has always been a home cook and learned a lot from her own mother. She is more traditional in her recipes and doesn't feel like experimenting a lot, but Kareema pushes her to come up with new recipes and product ideas. The team works well together and inspire each other. Razia provides a good foundation, while Kareema is good at thinking outside the box! Add Fortunate’s practical nature and can-do attitude to the mix and what you have is a dream team meant for success!