Bonny M | March 17, 2025
Razia’s Pickle was created by a mother-daughter duo based in Pretoria, originally hailing from Kimberley in the Northern Cape. We started our business on a very small scale in late 2019 and we specialise in artisanal Indian sauces, pickles and spice mixes, all home-made from the freshest ingredients, said Kareema. Our products are authentically Indian with manageable heat levels.
Growing up, we always had a variety of pickle (atchar) on our dinner table and in our fridge. We took them for granted and only realised how special they actually were when my friends and colleagues loved my mum’s treats that we started receiving orders, which lead to us getting invited to a small neighbourhood street market which was a massive hit. It was then that we realised the potential to create and grow something amazing.
My grandmother actually sold pickles in her local community in Kimberley for extra income and she taught my mother everything she knows about the art of atchar. Razia’s Pickle is definitely also an ode to my grandmother. I don’t think she or my mother, could have foreseen this happening but I do think that she would be very proud of what we have accomplished, Kareema added.
We are also very grateful for our production manager Fortunate who started out with us as a part-time domestic worker. She showed a great interest in the production side of things and asked to be a part of it. She quickly went to working full time in the kitchen with my mum and, today, she is the production manager. One of the rewarding aspects of the journey is to see her personal growth and optimism for the future.
Our pay-off line is “Authentically Indian, Home-made in South Africa” and that succinctly captures the essence of what we are about. Razia’s Pickle is not about reinvention or new-age flavours but rather about celebrating simple, traditional flavours. Our products are nostalgic for a lot of different people from all walks of life. Indian cuisine is so entrenched in the South African experience, no matter what demographic you fall under.
While our products are traditional, we seek to do tradition while using the best quality, seasonal and freshest ingredients. We are also a slow, small-batch, business. We fill, seal and label each jar by hand.
Our range includes:
*Sauces
*Pickles
*Spice mixes
All with manageable heat levels which I think is why we appeal to so many different demographics. Our best-sellers are by far the Chilli Mayo (which has an atchar flavour), the Curry Leaves Sauce and the Carrot Pickle. The Butter Chicken Spice Mix is also quite popular.
All our spice mixes come with my mum’s easy-to-follow recipe at the back, enabling even novice and amateur cooks to make the perfect curry from scratch at home.
What do you hope people feel when they taste Razia’s Pickle products?
We know people “taste” the love and effort when they use our products. There is a growing need amongst consumers to know where their food is coming from and to support local and I think the success of our business has a lot to do with that as well. We wanted to change the way the larger population in South Africa thought about and used atchar and we are so pleased that locals have fully embraced us and our products.
How did moving from Kimberley to Pretoria influence your journey with Razia’s Pickle?
The business would not have started otherwise. My mum had lived in Kimberly almost her entire life but decided to move to Pretoria to be with me during her retirement. Going from a tight-knit community to living in a security estate with strangers as neighbours, was quite the adjustment. She also had to grapple with the extensive free time as a retiree. To cope with the boredom, she started making her delicious Indian-style pickles and sauces for my friends and colleagues.
What are some of the challenges you have come across as Razia’s Pickle and how did you overcome them?
Every journey has ups and downs and ours came when COVID lockdown happened as we had just started to gain momentum in our tiny home business. However, all was not lost as, we used this time to really think about branding and packaging and to map out what we wanted to achieve with the business.
What has been the most rewarding part of this journey so far?
Being able to do it all with my mother and to see her beaming whenever our products receive recognition or compliments. As a 76-year old retiree, the business has given her renewed purpose and vigour. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that I am building a legacy for her, my sisters and for my grandmother.
Readers can purchase our products and connect with us through the following channels:
*We have an online store at https://raziaspickle.co.za/.
*Our stockist list is also on the website.
*Razia’s Pickle is also available online on Yuppiechef and Ucook and in Yuppiechef stores nationwide.