Women Who Feed the World : Ana Maria Panait - Rewriting Africa’s Chocolate Story

At Oya Foods, we celebrate women who are reshaping the food system — not just through what they create, but how they create it.

One of those women is Ana Maria Panait, founder of Rrraw Chocolate — a proudly African, bean-to-bar brand built on ethics, flavour, and purpose. What began as a response to the inequalities she witnessed in Côte d'Ivoire has grown into a movement for better chocolate, better sourcing, and a better way of doing business on the continent.

In this conversation, Ana Maria shares her journey, her philosophy, and how she’s crafting a chocolate story that’s rooted in justice and bursting with African flavour.

Tell us a bit about Rrraw Chocolate — how did it start and what inspired it?

I started Rrraw Chocolate in October 2019, during COVID times. I had lived in Côte d'Ivoire for two years — a country that produces over 40% of the world's cocoa and relies heavily on cocoa and coffee exports. I saw first-hand how impoverished the lives of cocoa farmers were.

After spending three years travelling the world, I discovered how much more could be done with cocoa. There’s a global community of craft chocolate makers — especially in cocoa-growing countries like the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, and El Salvador — creating incredible flavour experiences. I realised that chocolate didn’t have to be burnt beans and industrial sugar. It could be nuanced, expressive, and deeply connected to the bean itself.

When I returned to South Africa, I found I couldn’t buy industrial chocolate anymore. I had developed a strong point of view on flavour and believed that the world — especially South Africa — needed more variety, more expression, and more celebration of what African-grown beans can become.

My core belief is that business must be a force for good. Everyone in my supply chain is paid fairly. I source beans from a B Corp-certified company in Uganda, near the Congolese border, and I work to ensure that the entire value chain is built around fairness and dignity. I want Africa to be known not just for raw materials, but for finished goods that showcase our potential.

What does working with local suppliers like Oya Foods mean to you and your brand?

It’s central to who we are. I prioritise sourcing from the continent as much as possible — everything from ingredients to packaging. The only thing I haven’t been able to find locally is powdered coconut milk. Everything else, I make a point to source from Africa — and ideally South Africa.

Oya Foods supplies the strawberry powder used in some of our chocolate blends, and we work with other local suppliers like Specbrom in Johannesburg and women harvesting hibiscus in Ghana.

For me, it’s not just about creating a great final product. It’s about the system behind it — how the ingredients are sourced, who benefits, and how we grow together. If capitalism is the system we’ve agreed to use, then it needs to work for the many — not just the few.

Where can people find your chocolate — any markets, stockists or platforms you'd like to highlight?

My chocolate is available online through the Rrraw website, where people can also find a list of stockists by location.

You’ll find us in places like Big Five Duty Free, Pantry by Marble, and Giovanni’s in Cape Town — and in total, we’re stocked in around 50 locations across the country, especially in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

I really appreciate all the retailers, big and small, who’ve supported this journey — especially those committed to showcasing local makers and helping grow a more inclusive, sustainable food economy.

Explore more at www.rrraw.co.za