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Walking into the world of Kobus Watson – long-time Kingswood resident and fourth-generation commander-in-chief at Watsons Meat – gives a glimpse of local history and a taste of what it takes to attain commercial longevity.
The first impression you get when entering the understated office block where Kobus Watson wields the sceptre is the quiet order of things. Two friendly ladies greet from their respective workstations and point you to the top storey, where the desk in Kobus’s spacious office is stacked with work files and personal memorabilia.
This local business leader looks much more farmer than office executive. During our chat it becomes clear that he’d rather be in the bush or among his ‘pet herd’ of cattle than spending time ogling a computer screen. But when you’re in charge of a business as large as Watsons Meat today, it’s impossible to shirk admin obligations.
Masters of hand-reared meat
The Watson name has been synonymous with the Southern Cape meat industry since 1915. Superior quality products and exceptional service are the
foundations that ultimately ensure the longevity of this business and brand name. Watsons Meat consists of pig farms and production units in George and Mossel Bay, a meat processing factory and cold storage facility, plus two retail outlets in George CBD – the Cradock Street hub and a shop in York Street. A 140-strong team includes everyone from butchers to marketers, as well as drivers behind the wheel of 12 trucks and bakkies that comprise its distribution fleet.
‘Retail has not really been our focus, but rather a necessary part of the business,’ says Kobus, adding that from as far back as 1988, his mainstay has been processing and supply. ‘We’ve found our niche in the production of pork products, with 95% of the meat sold coming from pigs reared at our farms.
‘This model of vertical integration gives us a significant competitive advantage. With no middleman involved, we can sell all products at a reasonable price. So we don’t have a huge gap between retail and wholesale – it’s quite similar to the concept of a factory shop.’ Enabling this offering is the fact that they slaughter 300 pigs weekly.
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Kobus explains that 90% of shops supplied by Watsons Meat are based in Southern and Eastern Cape towns, the Little and Great Karoo, Langkloof and Tsitsikamma, including Heidelberg, Graaff-Reinet, Beaufort West and Gqeberha. Products for distribution include everything from ham and other cold cuts to smoked sausages and more.
But the biggest benefit sprouting from Watsons Meat’s modus operandi is bio-security, says Kobus. ‘With the vast majority of our products coming directly from the farm, we never have to worry about diseases such as African swine fever or associated ailments. Pork has had a bad rap since Biblical times, but we’ve spent many decades trying to reverse that perception in both the local and national market.’
Pushing 100 years of plying the trade
Sticking to the ‘days of yore’ theme, it’s necessary to revisit the roots of Watsons Meat – and these can be traced back to Kobus’s Scottish ancestors. The Watson clan of the old country had a tradition of cattle farming, so when his great-great-grandparents set off to South Africa on a passenger ship from Aberdeen, that big love travelled along.
A fourth-generation meat fundi, Kobus recounts how his great-grandfather was the first official butcher in George who plied his trade from a shop, rather than selling from under the shade of a tree! The Cradock Street shop was opened in 1915 – in the same spot where Watsons Meat is located today.
In those early days the emphasis was on retail and meat was bought in before being processed and sold. The farms, buildings and other properties now forming
part of the Watson empire were acquired subsequently and today include various companies and shareholders.
Tastefully displayed cuttings from ancient newspapers adorn the Cradock Street office corridors, and it’s mesmerising to read about the accolades gained and excellent reputation enjoyed by the late great JJ Watson. An article dated June 1955 lauds the business on its 25th anniversary, with photos comparing the shop sites of 1930 and 1955.
It tells the story of how Edmund Charles Watson swapped his civil service job to explore the local meat trade shortly after the birth of young Jacobus Johannes on 8 November 1910. ‘JJ left school aged 16 to ‘spend his time among pigs, sheep and the oxen due for slaughter’.
Once JJ started running the shop, he would cycle from the family home in Porter Street and back four times a day, investing in meat scales rather than a car. One of the sections in the four-page broadsheet spread is dedicated to the role of ‘Mrs Watson in the retail store’. And that’s another facet of the business that’s stood the test of time.
Team Kobus & Kobie traverse the continent
Kobus married Kobie in 1992 and, soon after, the new Mrs Watson got involved in the business. Having evolved by the end of the last century to include much more than a shop and factory, Kobie managed the Watson properties – by then a significant part of the business, as acquired by Kobus’s forebears over the years.
‘But now, some decades down the line, it’s not really a family business any longer,’ he says. After many years of hard grind and long hours, the Watsons are taking it a little bit easier. And when they’re not in the saddle, the couple share a sense of African adventure. Apart from annual trips to foreign shores, to Kruger Park or the West Coast, a standout experience was their trek north from Cape Agulhas in 2013.
‘We set aside three months to travel from the continent’s southernmost tip with a plan to reach Cairo, inspired by South African author Johan Badenhorst and his Voetspore series.’ Accompanied by two other couples and their sons, the trip was a most memorable expedition – despite the fact that their route was altered by civil war in Egypt.
‘We had to turn around at the Sudan border, but that didn’t take anything away from the overall experience. Of the thousands of kilometres travelled, only 400km was on the same track. When I parked the bakkie back at our Kingswood home, there was exactly 25,000km on the clock!’
No place like home
The Watsons bought their first property at Kingswood 18 years ago and have never considered living elsewhere. It’s an easy dash to their Herolds Bay beach house and a safe haven for Kobie when her husband goes hunting at Kruidfontein. After so many years of calling Kingswood home, the Watsons have a close circle of friends and golfing partners for Kobie’s sporadic forays onto the course.
‘I was never a serious golfer,’ says Kobus, ‘but mostly served as entertainment along the way. When my back started bugging me I gave it up for good – and no, I don’t go on hikes around the estate. Why would you walk if you can get around in a golf cart?!’
The couple likes cooking at home but when they do venture out, The Fat Fish is a firm favourite. And when he’s not at work, then the favourite pastime of this friendly local meat mogul is spending time with his 300-strong herd of French Limousin-breed cattle and commercial cows. Who needs house pets anyway?