Ouma Rusks
{{Short description|South African rusk brand}}
{{Infobox brand
| name = Ouma
| logo = 200px
| logo_upright =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| image = 150px
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption = Plain Ouma Rusks
| producttype = Rusk
| currentowner = RCL Foods (2013)
| producedby =
| country = South Africa
| introduced = {{start date and age|1939}}
| discontinued =
| related =
| markets = Southern Africa
| previousowners = {{ubl|Greyvenstyn Family (1939)|Fedfood (1977)|Foodcorp (1992)}}
| tagline = Baked on the original farm
| website = {{url|www.rclfoods.com/ouma}}
| module =
| module1 =
}}
Ouma ({{IPAc-en|audio=LL-Q14196_(afr)-Anon1314-ouma.wav|ˈ|oː|.|m|aː}} (commonly referred to as Ouma Rusks)) is a South African rusk made from a traditional buttermilk recipe.{{cite thesis|last1=Campbell|first1=James|title=The Americanization of South Africa|publisher=University of the Witwatersrand|date=19 October 1999|page=16|url=http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10539/8498/ISS-65.pdf|access-date=18 October 2016}} It was first produced in the rural town of Molteno, in the Eastern Cape, by Elizabeth Ann Greyvenstyn in 1939,{{Cite web|url=http://www.themarketingsite.com/live/article/a-flavour-of-genius/2836/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414130009/http://www.themarketingsite.com/live/article/a-flavour-of-genius/2836|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 April 2018|title=A flavour of genius|website=The Marketing Site|access-date=30 July 2016}} in response to an initiative by the town's pastor to help the entrepreneurial efforts of the women in his congregation.{{cite journal|title=Design Indaba Creative Brief|journal=Foodcorp|date=May 2011|page=3|url=http://d6.designindaba.com/sites/default/files/DI-Foodcorp-Creative-Brief-May-11.pdf|access-date=18 October 2016}} The brand currently dominates the relatively-small local rusk market, and is manufactured in the same town it was first produced.{{cite journal|title=Design Indaba Creative Brief|journal=Foodcorp|date=May 2011|page=3|url=http://d6.designindaba.com/sites/default/files/DI-Foodcorp-Creative-Brief-May-11.pdf|access-date=18 October 2016}}
History
In an effort to reduce the negative impact of the Great Depression, the town's pastor offered each female member of his congregation money to start local businesses and increase their family income.{{cite news|last1=Burgess|first1=Mike|title=Keeping our Ouma (rusks) in Molteno|url=http://www.farmersweekly.co.za/article.aspx?id=34332&h=Keeping-our-Ouma-(rusks)-in-Molteno|access-date=19 October 2016|publisher=Framer's Weekly|date=21 January 2013}}{{cite news|last1=Basson|first1=Leilani|title=Ouma's Rusks and her husband's Ford|url=http://www.leisurewheels.co.za/4x4-news/oumas-rusks-and-her-husbands-ford/|access-date=19 October 2016|publisher=Leisure Wheels|date=3 August 2010}} They each received a half-crown, which is equivalent to two shillings and sixpence (roughly worth £30 or R520 in 2016).{{Cite web|url=https://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/relativevalue.php|title=Relative value of UK pound (income value)|date=30 July 2016|publisher=Measuring Worth|access-date=30 July 2016|quote=Income Value is measured using the relative average income to buy a commodity.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508164733/https://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/relativevalue.php|archive-date=2016-05-08|url-status=dead}}
They were first sold under the brand name "Outspan Rusks" but was changed soon after to 'Ouma
In 1941,{{Cite web|url=http://www.sapeople.com/2014/08/15/karoo-diary-legend-ouma-rusks/|title=KAROO DIARY: Legend of Ouma Rusks|last=Toit|first=Julienne du|date=2014-08-15|website=SAPeople - Your Worldwide South African Community|access-date=2016-07-30}} the fledgling governmental Industrial Development Corporation (South Africa) gave its first start-up loan to Ouma Rusks for £1,500.{{Cite web|url=http://idc.co.za/access/images/download-files/IDC-PDFs/IDC-PDFs/1941-ouma-rusks.pdf|title=1941 Ouma Rusks|publisher=Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa|access-date=30 July 2016}} Elizabeth's grandson, Leon Greyvensteyn, who was involved in the establishment and management of the company, went on to found the Simba Chip company in 1956.{{Cite web|url=http://www.themarketingsite.com/live/article/a-flavour-of-genius/2836/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414130009/http://www.themarketingsite.com/live/article/a-flavour-of-genius/2836|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-04-14|title=TMS: A flavour of genius|website=The Marketing Site|access-date=2016-07-30}}
Ouma became part of Fedfood in the 1970s, and since 1992 has been owned by Foodcorp (South Africa).{{Cite news|title=Ouma Rusks and Simba Chips - Roaring success steeped in tradition|newspaper=MWEB|location=South Africa|url=http://www.mweb.co.za/Entrepreneur/ViewArticle/tabid/3162/Article/8847/Ouma-Rusks-and-Simba-Chips-Roaring-success-steeped-in-tradition.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130831125705/http://www.mweb.co.za/Entrepreneur/ViewArticle/tabid/3162/Article/8847/Ouma-Rusks-and-Simba-Chips-Roaring-success-steeped-in-tradition.aspx|archive-date=31 August 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=17 June 2014}} As of 2012, Foodcorp still maintains an Ouma Rusks factory in the town of Molteno employing 250 people.
Factory
The Ouma factory in Molteno is currently the largest employer in the town, with 250 employees.{{cite news|last1=Esterhuizen|first1=Idele|title=Foodcorp invests R47m to save historic Ouma Rusks factory|url=http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/foodcorp-invests-r47m-to-overhaul-historic-ouma-rusks-factory-2012-08-29|access-date=19 October 2016|agency=Creamer Media|publisher=Engineering News|date=29 August 2012}}{{cite news|last1=Muchatibaya|first1=David|title=How Rusks Became a South African Favourite|url=http://blog.binuns.co.za/2016/05/16/rusks-became-south-african-favourite-zebra-rusk-pan-cutter-20160514/|access-date=19 October 2016|publisher=Binuns Blog|date=16 May 2016}}
Advertising
Ouma Rusk's advertising slogan ‘Let’s go and dip an Ouma’ is well known in South Africa.{{cite news|last1=Grange|first1=Helen|title=The brands that define Mzanzi|url=http://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/people/the-brands-that-define-mzanzi-1704594|access-date=19 October 2016|publisher=IOL Lifestyle|date=17 June 2014}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
{{South African cuisine}}
Category:South African cuisine