Paul Saad is the founder and developer of FUTURELIFE® — South Africa’s first high-energy, high-protein, high-dietary-fibre, low-GI food — the company’s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals.
From humble beginnings, the nutrition brand has grown since it was founded in 2008. It provides all-in-one health food products and its customers vary from diabetics to professional athletes.
BACKGROUND
Paul Anthony Saad graduated from UKZN in 1987 with a degree in Chartered Accounting, and also achieved an equivalent qualification from London in associated cost and management accounting.
After completing a 2-year mandatory internship with Coopers Lybrand, he left the corporate world to start several businesses including a company that manufactures shoe soles, making PVC, producing thermoplastic rubbers, and a venture financing company.
It was through his extensive experience in the business world that he saw a gap in the South African food market for a nutritious product requiring very little resources. The product was to cater for the malnourished individuals in the country.
“I wanted to develop something that was nutritionally dense, free from preservatives, gluten and lactose, and I wanted people to be fuller for longer. I also realised that people were also not getting enough protein in their diets.”
In 2008, Paul led a team of nutritionists and doctors to create an all in one, immune boosting product. The idea was that one would simply add water to the product and it will have all the nutrients required for a proper balanced meal.
The product is manufactured in a German factory, where ingredients are mixed, and also a Pretorian factory, where certain ingredients are cooked under patented processes.
A couple of months later, FUTURELIFE® was officially out of development and ready to hit the shelves.
The success of the brand was somewhat unexpected, FUTURELIFE® quickly became one of the fastest growing and credible health brands in the South African food market.
The product was considered beneficial, so much so that the company even partnered with the country’s Department of Health’s feeding scheme to supply all the clinics and hospitals nationally with the meal.
Beyond getting accolades in the medical field, the brand also became popular with athletes such as Olympic champion, Chad le Clos, who used the product for his dietary requirements, and eventually became one of its ambassadors.
PIONEER FOODS
In early 2015, Fast-moving consumer goods company, Pioneer Foods, announced a purchase of 50% of FUTURELIFE® in a joint venture deal. The purchase price of the deal was not disclosed
ADVICE TO ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS??
“Believe, believe, believe, but never lose sight of reality. Everyone has different talents.
Explore your particular passion or interest, whatever it may be. Doing what you enjoy maximises your chance of success.”
