A new food innovation is aiming to change how consumers think about convenience meals.

Sheba Bafo, a start-up founded by Cape Town-based food development technologist Mpumelelo Gcabo, is developing a ready-to-eat beef sausage in a relish designed for busy households that still value quality and flavour.

Gcabo describes the product as a modern take on a familiar comfort meal.

“It’s basically a beef sausage that sits on a tomato and onion relish,” he explained.

It is meant to last as long as any canned food

—  Mpumelelo Gcabo, food development technologist

“It is packed in a flexible pouch, and it is meant to last as long as any canned food.”

The flexible pouch is designed to preserve taste and extend shelf life.

“We are targeting a 24-month shelf life because of the type of packaging we are using — flexible versus tin”, said Gcabo.

The product is designed to be reheated and served with staple foods like pap or rice.

The journey from idea to product has involved rigorous testing and collaboration with research institutions.

Gcabo began researching and developing the product in 2024 and is now working closely with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) to ensure the product meets strict safety standards.

“CPUT is doing all of my food safety product validation tests, which include shelf-life analysis and sensory analysis,” Gcabo said.

“They are validating this because I still need to prove that this is a safe product.

“Once it hits 24 months, then I will be able to take it to the next step, talk to the right people and make sure that we tell people about it and make sure that we hit retail,” he explains.

The government support has played a crucial role in advancing the project.

Gcabo credits the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) for providing the seed funding that enabled the initial development phase.

“That made me able to put together everything that I needed to research and develop… from industrial testing to scaling. I am very grateful to them for that, and now we are here.”

Looking ahead, Gcabo’s vision is to scale up production and bring Sheba Bafo to the national market. However, he acknowledges the financial demands associated with manufacturing ready-to-eat foods.

To overcome this challenge, alternative production models such as co-packing are being explored, he concluded. — GCIS Vuk’uzenzele