Powered by potatoes: Dynamic marketing in 2025
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Another successful year was added to the tally for Potatoes SA’s generic product promotion marketing, which continues to drive increased demand and consumption of potatoes in South Africa while supporting sustainable market access for local producers. Generic marketing focusses on promoting a product category as a whole – in this case, potatoes – to grow overall demand, increase consumption, and unlock opportunities for potato producers.
Potatoes SA’s marketing activities in 2025 were guided by three strategic pillars: potato versatility, active living, and growing generations. These pillars form the foundation of the organisation’s marketing strategy and shape all campaign activities throughout the year.
Versatility pillar
Potatoes are a versatile and nutritious crop, and Potatoes SA highlights these qualities extensively across all social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and the newly launched Potato Nation WhatsApp channel. The Potato Nation website features more than 500 recipes, with new recipes showcased weekly on social media.
Attending the Kota Festivals has been a great way to experience and engage with the versatility of potatoes. Versatility is demonstrated not only through meal inspiration, but also through creative and educational content, such as demonstrating how potatoes can generate energy to light a bulb.
One of the key focus areas within the versatility pillar is myth-busting, which entails debunking common misconceptions about potatoes every Monday through the Monday Myth Buster series. Another impactful content stream is the Meet the Farmer feature, where consumers hear directly from potato producers across the country. This provides transparency, authenticity, and connection by introducing South Africans to the people who grow their potatoes.
Potato Nation’s social media presence has grown significantly. Current audience numbers include 127 000 followers on Facebook, 20 900 followers on Instagram, 10 000 followers on TikTok and 10 900 followers on LinkedIn.
Growing generations pillar
Potatoes are a staple food in many South African households, and this pillar focusses specifically on introducing and educating younger consumers, particularly Gen Z, about the benefits of potatoes.
One of the initiatives under this pillar is Potatoes SA’s engagement with the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), commonly known as the school feeding scheme. The programme provides meals that typically include a protein, starch, vegetable, and fruit. However, potatoes are currently underrepresented on school menus, despite being an affordable, nutritious, and filling option.
Reintegrating potatoes into the NSNP represents a meaningful opportunity to improve children’s nutritional intake and introduce them to a familiar, healthy food. A proof of concept was conducted in five schools in Gauteng, and the results were overwhelmingly positive, with pupils and school cooks asking for more potatoes to be delivered.
Active living pillar
The final pillar portrays potatoes as the ultimate natural energy source for athletes and individuals with active lifestyles. While many athletes already rely on potatoes for carboloading before races and competitions, Potatoes SA also emphasises their value as an on-the-go energy boost during physical activity.
Potatoes SA participated in several major sporting events, including the 2024 and 2025 Soweto Marathons, and the Sunrise Monster road race.
At these events, potatoes were distributed to runners, allowing them to experience first-hand what it means to be #PoweredByPotatoes. These on-site activations also create a valuable platform for real-time engagement and consumer education.
Promoting potatoes
Potatoes SA has identified school sports as a good intersection between the active living and growing generations pillars. School sporting events provide direct access to young, active audiences while offering an opportunity to educate learners, parents, and coaches on the nutritional and performance benefits of potatoes.
Potatoes SA participated in several school sports events in 2025, including the Reitz VKB rugby week and the Clanwilliam Super Spar netball tournament. Plans are underway to expand the organisation’s presence at school sport activations across multiple provinces in 2026.
The Potatoes SA marketing team remains committed to rolling out innovative, engaging, and consumer-focussed campaigns in the new year.
With strong momentum across all three pillars, Potatoes SA looks forward to deepening consumer appreciation for potatoes while driving the industry forward. – Sheila Makgato, Potatoes SA
Follow Potatoes SA on social media to keep up with marketing activities:
For more information, send an email to the author at sheila@potatoes.co.za or visit www.potatoes.co.za.