Sweet small business deal: Roska Artisan Ice Cream finds home at Checkers Sandton City

Retail 12 December 2023

Roska Artisan Ice Cream is the first small supplier to have its own concept shop-in-shop in a Checkers FreshX, taking up a prime spot next to established brands like Starbucks in the flagship Sandton City store.

The Johannesburg-based enterprise joins a growing network of small suppliers supported by Shoprite Next Capital – a business unit launched in 2022 to capacitate and grow commercially viable Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs).

Owned by Kamal Manilal and wife Roshni Morar, Roska started as a passion project in 2019. In a little over three years, the ice cream brand has grown from a home kitchen into one recognised in South Africa’s premium hotel and restaurant kitchens, creating employment for 12 people in the process.

“After leaving my corporate job and losing my dad in quick succession, I just needed an outlet. I reached for an ice cream machine gifted to me 14 years prior and started making ice cream. I never thought of it as a business, but I began to see the potential when first my family and friends loved my creations, and I then started receiving growing interest from customers,” says Kamal.

Together with Roshni, a seasoned brand specialist, the couple created a brand to rival major luxury ice cream brands. Their unique selling point was to make ice cream back to a time when it was not mass-produced and handmade with fresh, ethically sourced ingredients.

Roska Artisan Ice Cream contains no milk powder or artificial flavourants. It is available in 17 flavours, a range of ice cream cakes, mini-Belgian bars, as well as sorbet, reduced-sugar and vegan options. In-store, the ice cream maker also offers a range of milkshakes and waffles.

“Innovation, quality and value for money are the three key elements we look for when engaging with prospective small suppliers. Roska offers all three, so we’re very pleased to support and help grow this business by introducing their artisanal ice cream to a bigger consumer market via this pilot shop-in-shop concept,” says Maude Modise, General Manager for Enterprise and Supplier Development at the Shoprite Group.