Becker’s Premium Meat is taking its biltong beyond home ground.
No matter where a business is in Mzansi, we will always make sure we connect it to everyone else who may not know about it. Not because we are the best connectors, but because we can see a business that deserves recognition and deserves to be celebrated from afar.
For us, there will never be a time when we wait for a business to become the biggest thing ever before we celebrate it. We meet businesses where they are because we believe someone has to give startups that pat on the back, so they know they are seen and worthy of every bit of visibility.
This time, we talk to Ruan Becker about Becker’s Premium Meat as the business continues expanding its footprint into different parts of the country, including KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State.
Behind Becker’s Premium Meat are Ruan Becker and Lynette Bester, who started with something relatively simple, a passion for good-quality meat and the belief that they could create something of their own.
Being surrounded by meat and traditional South African products made biltong a natural place to start. But what began as a small operation has gradually developed into something they believe can become a recognised premium South African brand. For Becker, that means building a business around three things - quality, consistency and tradition.
There are plenty of biltong options available in South Africa, and Becker knows very well that people can be particular about how they like theirs. Some prefer it dry, others wet, some want more fat, while others have very specific preferences when it comes to flavour.
So, the goal was never to dictate what good biltong should taste like to everyone. “We want to create a product that makes someone take another bite and think, ‘That’s good biltong,’” Becker says.
And while the product comes first, the thinking around Becker’s extends to how everything is presented. From its packaging to the way customers are treated, the intention is to create the same premium standard throughout the business.
So, what makes good biltong for you, and what goes into getting your product right? “For us, it comes down to the details. Good biltong isn’t just about putting meat in a drying box. The quality of the meat, preparation, seasoning, drying process, texture and consistency all matter. You must pay attention to every stage.”
“We’re aiming for that balance where the flavour is strong without overpowering the meat, and where the texture is exactly what customers expect from quality biltong. Ultimately, the biggest compliment isn’t someone saying the branding looks good, it’s when someone finishes their packet and asks where they can get another one.”
And those returning customers have become an important part of the Becker’s story. Like many small businesses, the early days taught Ruan and Lynette never to underestimate an order. A purchase that may seem insignificant to a larger company can mean something entirely different when you are building from scratch.
“In the beginning, every customer mattered,” Becker recalls. What really changed their thinking was seeing customers return for another order and, even better, recommending the product to other people. That is when the business began moving beyond simply selling packets of biltong and towards building a customer base and, eventually, a recognisable name.
Those customers have also taught the team one of the realities of selling food - getting something right once is not enough. The person who enjoys Becker’s today expects to receive the same quality the next time they buy it.
“You can have an amazing batch one week, but customers expect that same standard the next time they order,” Becker says. “That’s one of the biggest responsibilities that comes with putting your name on a product.”
And putting their name on the product is quite literal. Becker’s is not a name created in a branding session. It is the family name, and Ruan believes that brings a different level of accountability. Every packet that leaves the business carries a name they personally must stand behind.
Building that reputation, however, comes with the less glamorous side of running a growing food business. Customers see the final packet. Behind it are meat costs, production, packaging, equipment, deliveries, marketing, customer communication and the constant small problems that come with entrepreneurship.
There have been difficult moments and times when the pressure has forced them to question things. But Ruan says those challenges have also made the business better by forcing them to rethink processes, production, pricing and how they serve customers.
As Becker’s now moves into markets beyond its original home ground, including KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, those lessons become even more important. Growth means getting the product into more hands, but it also means protecting the standard that earned the business its existing customers in the first place.
Before we wrap up, where would you like to see Becker’s Premium Meat five years from now? “Five years from now, I don’t just want Becker’s to be a bigger business. I want it to be a recognised brand.”
“I’d love to see Becker’s Premium Meat stocked in stores across South Africa, with strong distribution and a product range that has grown beyond where we are today. National distribution would be a huge milestone. New products would be part of that growth too, and eventually we’d love to explore opportunities beyond South Africa.”
But there is another part of that ambition that matters to him just as much as expansion. “I want someone in another part of the country to see the Becker’s name and already know what it stands for - quality meat, great flavour and a South African tradition done properly.”
And that may still be a journey ahead, but every national brand once had a point where it was simply a small business asking customers to give its product a try. For Becker’s Premium Meat, the ambition is certainly there. So is the understanding that recognition cannot simply be claimed because a business has good packaging or calls itself premium.
It has to be earned - one customer, one order and, in this case, one packet of biltong at a time.
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