When this info landed in my email inbox I was overjoyed, and for a number of reasons. Firstly because chicks doing great things makes me happy, secondly because I have tried a variety of Calorie Conscious products over the last few month and they are just amazing, and thirdly…because Candice is someone that I not only admire, but someone that I am lucky enough to call my friend.

Globally the wellness industry is currently worth more than $3.4 trillion making it nearly three times larger than the pharmaceutical industry worldwide. To eat more healthy and exercise regularly have become an international trend.

Even in South Africa people are following suit, and at the forefront of this wellness tidal wave is food expert and top entrepreneur, Candice Robbertze. This striking and dynamic businesswoman is considered a leader in the Wellness industry, and owns no less than 5 very successful businesses, all of them contributing to health, vitality and awareness of lifestyle.

One of her biggest success stories is Calorie Conscious, one of the largest health bakeries in South Africa. “So many people are diagnosed with allergies in our country on a daily basis,” says Candice, “and a lot of these conditions can be linked directly to various ingredients found in for example baked goods. Because of this enormous need, we started Calorie Conscious 8 years ago.”

The artisan bakery specializes in wheat-, gluten- and carbohydrate-free products, embracing more wholesome alternatives to sugar, salt, oil and dairy. The end product: aesthetically pleasing baked goods that taste amazing! With a distribution chain of more than 200 clients, including Checkers, SPAR and Food Lover’s Market stores around the country, Calorie Conscious is quickly becoming a Health Food Empire.

Candice’s success did not come easy. From the very start she has had to fight to be considered a valuable and equal partner in the business world, and even up to this day her fight for women empowerment still continues. “We currently run our own empowerment program within the company where we empower people to be the best they can be. Some of my staff started as packers and have worked themselves up in the ranks, and today they are Managers,” smiles Candice.

In 2017 Candice reached the final round of the Mrs South Africa competition, and walked away with the Mrs SA Charity title after raising the most money for CANSA, as well as the SABC 3 Viewers Choice Award. This year proved early on to be a big one for Candice, when she launched not one but two massive initiatives.

The first is the ‘Candice Robbertze Foundation’, an organization that assists numerous charities in need, with a strong emphasis on Women Empowerment. The second is ‘Tough Cookies’, an exciting and interactive workshop for women about self-esteem, self-defence, health, wellness, basically all the tools women need to empower themselves in an otherwise cruel society.

“I may not be able to change the world, but if I can change the world of one person, then I have made a difference,” concludes Candice, more motivated than ever.

Keep an eye out for not only Calorie Conscious, but also for Candice – this is one woman who has her eye on the prize – big things are coming SA!

To find out more about Candice – you can contact Leon Cloete on leonc@infinitecom.co.za

Photo credit – Johan Venter and Cathy Heaton Photography.