Ana Maria Panait thrives in chocolate industry

TELL US WHO YOU ARE...

Ana Maria Panait - I grew up in Romania, as the country was exiting communism, and my first memories of chocolate are how scarce and how precious it was. We didn't get that much at the time, as the country was rationing everything. I still remember how excited I was when we could buy as much chocolate as we wanted, after 1990. I left Romania to attend university in Italy, where I started working in Global Brand Development for an FMCG company called Unilever. I moved with them to Durban in 2011, working on iconic South African brands I have been with the company for 10 years+, working as well in West Africa and around the world in audit, and the experience in this true school of business and marketing is really priceless.

YOUR MOTIVATION ....

I have always been a chocoholic, and on my trips around the world I have sampled and tasted some delicious chocolatey treats (I am looking at you, Caribbean chocolate tea!). I have also lived in Cote d'Ivoire for 2 years, on the same road as a cacao roasting factory, where on Fridays, roasting day, the neighbourhood filled up with the smell of chocolate.

YOUR BUSINESS...

Rrraw, the chocolate company made in Africa. The company produces raw, vegan, organic and delicious chocolate, all sugar-free. A special treat, packaging-free (Naked and Rrraw). Consumers' reaction is always amazement at how good vegan chocolate can be. When chocolate is raw, it means that the beans were roasted at low intensity heat, so the product maintains the healthy properties of cacao, such as antioxidants and magnesium. It was not called Food of the Gods for nothing!