Wipe-it: From a small operation to a national tissue manufacturer
Wipe-it was founded in 2002 by Fanus van Niekerk.
What began as a small operation supplying paper products has grown into a business serving organisations across South Africa.
Today, the company is headed up by Gerbrandt van Niekerk, continuing the development of the family-founded enterprise.
In its early years, the business focused on sourcing and converting paper products while building relationships with customers.
As demand increased, Wipe-it expanded its operations and broadened its product offering to include toilet paper, hand towels and related hygiene products for commercial use.
The company supplies a wide range of sectors, including offices, healthcare facilities, cleaning companies, factories and public spaces.
Over time, the company has grown its team to between 151 and 200 employees.
Gerbrandt’s advice to other business owners comes from his experience when they lost a large customer and faced a tough choice: either shrink the business, or rebuild.
They rebuilt around service, speed and relationships: “Complacency is the gateway to strife. The moment you get comfortable, you start falling behind. In business, comfort slowly eats away at your edge. We learned that the hard way when we stopped thinking ahead and nearly paid the price for it. To any business owner listening: stay hungry, stay sharp, and keep asking what’s next, because standing still is just another way of going backwards.”
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Wipe-it aims to strengthen its national footprint and continue expanding its product offering.
The company also plans to maintain its focus on local manufacturing while supporting employment within the tissue manufacturing industry.
For Pavlo, opening national markets requires a specific focus on sales: the right kind of sales. His three-step action plan for Wipe-it includes:
Action 1: Open new provinces with hunters
- Because: Unopened ground still sits waiting
- Result: Faster national market reach
Action 2: Systemise how top sellers win
- Because: Growth cannot rely on a few people
- Result: Stronger scale with lower risk
Action 3: Lock in priority customer partnerships
- Because: Better planning beats monthly scramble
- Result: Steadier volume and service
And this informs his growth tip for this episode: Systemise your sales edge.
Too many businesses grow because a few strong people carry the load. The smarter shift is to turn how they win into a repeatable system others can use.
That gives you growth, protection, and a business that runs with you, not because of you.
This Future50 feature was presented by Pavlo Phitidis from Aurik and powered by FNB Business.
For more stories of Future50 businesses, or to nominate your business, head here.
