Johannesburg, August 2009 – Clover has once again achieved top brand status according to the Sunday Times 2009 Top Brands Survey. South Africa’s leading processor and distributor of dairy and dairy-related products was ranked fifth overall in the independent survey’s favourite brand category. Clover’s position as a favourite brand in the country has been built on the group’s strong emphasis on best quality, value-added products and a deep understanding of consumer needs.

In total Clover ranked highly in four Sunday Times Top Brand Survey categories, an outstanding achievement for any company. One of the newest accolades was consumers’ public voting for Clover juices. With a heritage of more than a quarter century in the beverage business, Clover has had two of its star brands voted into the Top 3 positions in the highly competitive juice based drinks category: Tropika, ‘the smoothest fun in the sun brand’ as no 2, and Clover juices as no 3. The results certainly illustrate that consumers demand high quality, healthy and great tasting products, expectations created and delivered upon by every consumption moment of any Clover product.

“We are incredibly pleased with the results,” exclaims Clover Group Marketing Manager Denise Meadon. “Clover is a genuine South African brand, and this national recognition by our consumers reaffirms that we are still giving them what they need, and what they want. As a brand, millions trust us everyday, and for good reason: we put the health and wellbeing of our consumers first. And we want to reassure our consumers that, even in these tough economic times, we will continue to provide them with only the best-tasting healthy products.”

Clover is also very proud to have been recognised for its achievements in uplifting South African communities. It was ranked in the Top 10 for the company doing the most to uplift the community. As Clover Manager Corporate Communications Prof. Elain Vlok explains, Clover’s flagship social upliftment project, Clover Mama Afrika – Ukwakha Isizwe (building and nurturing our nation) is a programme the whole company is very passionate about. “The Clover Mama Afrika project is a long-term commitment to social development,” says Vlok. “The project seeks to assist and support communities at grassroots level, with the focus on creating self-help projects to ensure the sustained improvement of the standard of living in our communities. The bedrock of the programme is our Clover Mama Afrikas, because by empowering the matriarchs of a community, we are securing maximum reach while at the same time helping those who have already dedicated their time to helping others.”

Last but not least, Clover was also ranked 12th amongst companies that had done the most to promote ‘green’.