Iconic Sweetie Pie owner Beyers Chocolates in liquidation

Beyers Chocolates – the makers of the iconic Sweetie Pie soft marshmallow centred delights and a key supplier to Woolworths – is filing for liquidation

The almost 40-year-old chocolate business headquartered out of Kempton Park in Ekurhuleni on Gauteng’s East Rand, was founded by Kees Beyers – a Belgian immigrant to South Africa in the early eighties.

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The Financial Mail first reported on Thursday on the company entering liquidation proceeds, because of a commercial dispute over exclusivity with JSE-listed retail giant Woolworths, which is one of its biggest single customers.

Beyers makes the popular Chuckles chocolate range for Woolworths (probably under a contract manufacturing agreement), however the brand is owned by the retailer and includes a much larger range such as ice cream.

Moneyweb could not reach Beyers for comment on Friday, however, there is a possibility the company could be saved. If it closes, dozens of jobs are on the line.

While Woolworths is the biggest client of Beyers Chocolates, the chocolatier also suppliers Clicks, Shoprite, Pick n Pay, Spar, Massmart and other retailers with its expanded Sweetie Pie and other ranges. It also does contract manufacturing for Mondelez International (owners of Cadbury), Amarula and coffee chain vida e caffè , according to its website.

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It is unclear what the exact details of commercial dispute with Woolworths relates to, with the Cape Town headquartered group saying in a holding statement: “Woolworths cannot comment on the nature of our relations with Beyers due to confidentiality concerns.”

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Beyers, however, has been expanding its range and offering, including a partnership with Shoprite’s Checkers chain last year that included a new Beyers Kiosk inside the Checkers Chartwell Corner store in Johannesburg.

The group also opened The Chocolate Factory, a new upmarket café and chocolate experiential outlet in Van Buuren Road in Bedfordview in 2024.

Chuckles … 

Meanwhile, Woolworths said in its statement on Friday that the Chuckles will continue to be stocked in its stores and there were no shortages.

“We can… share that Woolies chocolate – including Chuckles – is still the exceptional quality that our customers love and expect, and it is widely available across the country,” it said.

“There are no shortages or stock issues when it comes to Woolies chocolate,” the retailer added.

According to the Beyers Chocolates website, the group has been crafting “South Africa’s finest chocolates’ since 1987.

“Fuelled by a passion for chocolate ignited by Kees Beyers, a Belgian master chocolatier, Beyers Chocolates has been a family affair since its beginnings. Using his heritage and handcrafted techniques, Kees brought the magic of Belgian chocolate to South Africa,” it says.

Kees Beyer and the chocolate factory … 

“At the age of just 7, Kees Beyers already knew that one day he would own a chocolate factory. He started selling sweet treats to friends and family and at the age of 12 he began his studies at the prestigious Piva School in Antwerp.

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“Kees qualified as a pastry chef at Ter Groene Poorte in Bruges when he was just 17. So deep was his passion that between the ages of 13 and 17, Kees woke up at 4:30am every Saturday and Sunday, to cycle to work part-time for a confectioner in a town near his home,” it adds in a ‘where it all began’ section of the website.

It says that as an 18-year-old, Beyer travelled to South Africa to visit his sister who had immigrated.

“His intention was to work for a few months, travel around the country and return to Belgium, but this was not to be. Kees fell in love with South Africa as quickly as he fell in love with chocolate…,” it highlights.

“In 1987 at the age of just 20, Kees Beyers Chocolates was founded,” it notes. Today, the group is simply branded as Beyers.

“While his dream of owning a chocolate factory has come true, Kees never stops enriching his knowledge in the art of chocolate and confectionery making. He is now a Master Chocolatier, through L’école de Chocolat…

“He still works closely with his staff members, to ensure that all Beyers Chocolates meet his exact standards of high quality,” adds the profile.

Now, following the commercial dispute with Woolworths, and the possibility of a final liquidation of Beyers Chocolates, this could mean the end of another iconic manufacturing business in South Africa.

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