Popular South African chocolate brand, De Villiers Chocolate to close after 13 years

Pieter and Cornell de Villiers, the founders of De Villiers Chocolate, a well-known South African brand of chocolate, took to social media on August 25th to announce the closure of their chocolate-making venture after 13 years in operation. The couple expressed deep sadness in their message, acknowledging the remarkable journey they've had with the brand.

Pieter de Villiers, co-owner of De Villiers Chocolate, shared with Cape Talk that they have made the tough decision to close their doors at the end of September.

He mentioned that this decision was not easy, but they expressed their gratitude to shareholders, investors, customers, and employees who contributed to the success of De Villiers Chocolates over the years.

"Your belief in our brand, your patronage, and your collaborative efforts have been the cornerstones of our success, and we are deeply grateful for the relationships we have forged with each of you," said Peter and his wife in a statement that was put out on their social media platforms. 

In their formal letter of announcement, the couple expressed profound gratitude to their customers, employees, retail partners, investors, and suppliers for their unwavering support throughout their journey.

They cited a series of challenges, including the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, delays in raw material supply, a factory fire, production issues due to load shedding, and rising raw material costs as factors that put significant strain on their business. Despite exhaustive efforts to find a sustainable solution, they concluded that continuing operations was not feasible.

De Villiers noted that their final trading day online will be August 30, 2023, and at their Spice Route location, it will be September 30.

Written by: Shihaam (Gabriella) Steyn- Adams. 

Guzzle Media