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Khayelitsha Cookies is a biscuit producer based in Cape Town. It has agreed contracts worth more than R1.4 million with two companies UK backed companies.
Under the agreements, Khayelitsha Cookies will supply baked goods for British Airways flights and manufacture private‑label shortbread products for sale in the UK. The contracts will enable the business to distribute its products beyond South Africa and establish a commercial presence in the UK market.
The deal was concluded with support from the UK Trade Partnerships programme, an initiative funded by the UK Government. It aims to help developing countries leverage the UK’s Economic Partnership Agreement to increase exports, with preferential terms in this agreement allowing approximately 95% of South African goods to enter the UK market tariff-free.
Through the UK Trade Partnerships programme, Khayelitsha Cookies also secured a second commercial agreement to supply private label shortbread products to the UK market, further strengthening the company’s export footprint.
Tommy Williams, Khayelitsha Cookies Operations Executive, said
We are incredibly grateful to the International Trade Centre and the UK Trade Partnerships Programme for helping turn these two exciting deals into reality.
Thanks to their support, we will now be supplying two UK-based companies in the UK, with our biscuits making their way across the country and sharing the rich, irresistible taste of South Africa with customers far and wide.
Khayelitsha Cookies is rooted in inclusive entrepreneurship and community upliftment. The 100% women-owned business creates job opportunities for women from underserved communities in the Western Cape. For every 1,000 cookies sold, each woman employed is able to support between five and seven dependents within her family or community.
As a result of this deal, the company expects to create more opportunities for women, underscoring the role of international trade in driving job creation and strengthening livelihoods.
Antony Phillipson, British High Commissioner to South Africa, remarked
I had the privilege of visiting Khayelitsha Cookies’ factory and meeting the remarkable women behind the business, and I was deeply inspired by their entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to their community.
This partnership is a powerful example of how trade can deliver growth on both sides – creating opportunities and livelihoods in South Africa, while bringing high‑quality, proudly South African products to UK consumers,
This partnership illustrates how targeted trade support can unlock export readiness for small and medium enterprises, enabling them to participate meaningfully in global value chains.
