happy earth people

What happy earth people does

Happy Earth People is a South African food company founded in 2015 by Taleszia Raubenheimer and Candice Heath, headquartered at 17 Shelley Road, Salt River, Cape Town. The company produces handmade, 100% legume-based pasta (chickpea fusilli and penne, red lentil fusilli and penne, green pea penne) in 250g and 1kg formats, and chickpea-and-tapioca cookies (Dark Choc Chip, Coconut & Vanilla, Peanut Butter, Ginger) in 180g and 32g mini sizes. All products are positioned as gluten-free, grain-free where applicable, vegan, and free from additives, using non-certified organically grown legumes and biodegradable packaging.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce via happyearthpeople.com (with free shipping over R450) and wholesale distribution into the major South African grocery and pharmacy chains (Pick n Pay nationwide from March 2023, Dis-Chem's 150+ stores, SPAR, Wellness Warehouse), 100+ independent health stores and delis, and online marketplaces (Faithful to Nature, Yuppiechef, Takealot), with a limited cross-border footprint in Botswana through Family retail stores. Unit pricing ranges from R39.50–R166.50 for pasta (with an 18% discount on 12+ unit bulk orders) and R55 per cookie box, supported by an 11–50 person team. The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and has no disclosed external funding.

Name

happy earth people

Legal name

Happy Earth People

Website

https://happyearthpeople.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Happy Earth People is a Cape Town-based food company that produces handmade gluten-free pasta from chickpeas, lentils, and peas, plus chickpea-based cookies, selling direct-to-consumer online and through major South African retailers such as Pick n Pay, Dis-Chem, SPAR, and Wellness Warehouse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gluten-Free Plant-Based Pasta and Snacks

NAICS

Cookie, Cracker, and Pasta Manufacturing (31182), Dry Pasta, Dough, and Flour Mixes Manufacturing from Purchased Flour (311824)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Cookies & Crackers (2052)

akta.pro primary industry

Gluten-Free & Specialty Grain-Based Foods Manufacturing (GF pasta/cereals, ancient grains) (AFAKABAK)

Keywords

• Legume pasta products
• Gluten-free cookies
• Plant-based snacks
• Chickpea pasta
• Vegan food products

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Direct Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through company website. Customers purchase directly with free shipping threshold of R450. Products include pasta (250g, 1kg bags) and cookies (180g, assorted boxes, mini cookies).
2. Wholesale to Retailers: B2B wholesale distribution to major South African retailers including Pick n Pay, Dis-Chem, SPAR, Wellness Warehouse, and independent health stores. Products sold through retail chains across South Africa and Botswana.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Happy Earth People manufactures and sells gluten-free, vegan legume-based pasta made from 100% chickpeas, red lentils, or green peas, and chickpea-and-tapioca flour cookies. Products are handmade in South Africa using non-certified organically grown legumes, with biodegradable packaging, and are sold direct-to-consumer via the company's e-commerce site and through major South African retailers including Pick n Pay, Dis-Chem, SPAR, and Wellness Warehouse.

Product overview

Happy Earth People is a South African food company offering two core product lines: legume-based pastas and chickpea cookies. The pasta portfolio includes Chickpea Fusilli, Chickpea Penne, Red Lentil Fusilli, Red Lentil Penne, and Green Pea Penne, available in 250g and 1kg sizes. The cookie line features Dark Choc Chip, Coconut & Vanilla, Peanut Butter, and Ginger varieties, available in 180g and 32g (mini) sizes. All products are gluten-free, grain-free where applicable, and made from legumes with no additives. The company sells direct-to-consumer via their online shop and through major South African retailers including Pick n Pay, Dis-Chem, Spar, and Wellness Warehouse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chickpea Fusilli Pasta 250g Gluten-free, grain-free fusilli pasta made from 100% pure chickpeas, handmade with a nutty flavour and 6-minute cooking time, high in protein and fiber, serving 4 per packet. Sold to health-conscious consumers and families.
• 100% Chickpea Fusilli 1kg bag Bulk 1kg bag of handmade gluten-free pasta made from 100% pure chickpeas, with biodegradable packaging, designed for families and high-volume consumers as a healthier alternative to wheat-based pasta.
• 100% Chickpea Penne 1kg bag Bulk 1kg bag of handmade gluten-free penne pasta made from 100% pure chickpeas with biodegradable packaging, marketed to families and food service users.
• 100% Red Lentil Penne 1kg bag Handmade pasta made from 100% red lentils, offering a high-protein, gluten-free alternative to traditional wheat pasta with a 10-12 minute cooking time. Sold to health-conscious consumers seeking plant protein.
• 100% Red Lentil Fusilli 1kg bag Fusilli pasta made from 100% red lentils, handmade with a 6-8 minute cooking time and biodegradable packaging, sold to health-conscious consumers and families.
• Green Pea Penne 250g Pasta made from green peas, providing a gluten-free, high-protein alternative with a 6-8 minute cooking time, targeted at health-conscious consumers and families.
• Assorted Cookies Box Variety pack of chickpea-and-tapioca cookies in four flavours (Dark Choc Chip, Coconut & Vanilla, Peanut Butter, Ginger), all grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and made with chickpeas. Targeted at health-conscious consumers and families looking for clean-label snack options.
• Dark Choc Chip Cookies 180g Chickpea-and-tapioca flour cookie with 80% dark chocolate chunks, gluten-free with no additives, sold in a 180g box. Targeted at consumers wanting a healthier chocolate cookie.
• Coconut & Vanilla Cookies 180g Chickpea-and-tapioca flour cookie with coconut and vanilla, sweetened with coconut sugar, gluten-free and dairy-free in a 180g box. Sold to health-conscious snackers and families.
• Ginger Cookies 180g Chickpea flour cookie with ginger and cinnamon flavouring, sweetened with coconut sugar and made with coconut oil, sold in a 180g box. Marketed to health-conscious consumers seeking a refined-sugar-free ginger cookie.
• Ginger Mini Cookies 32g Smaller 32g single-serve packet of the chickpea ginger cookie, designed for individual servings and on-the-go snacking by health-conscious consumers.
• Coconut & Vanilla Mini Cookies 32g Smaller 32g single-serve packet of the chickpea coconut and vanilla cookie, designed for individual servings and on-the-go snacking by health-conscious consumers.
• Dark Choc Chip Mini Cookies 32g Smaller 32g single-serve packet of the chickpea dark chocolate chip cookie, designed for individual servings and on-the-go snacking by health-conscious consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products are free from gluten, grain, nuts, sugar, soya, and GMOs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pick n PaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor South African retail chain offering national distribution across all provinces. Happy Earth People cookies and pasta products available in Pick n Pay health aisles. Products launched in March 2023. Extensive store network provides significant retail presence.
• Dis-ChemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealth and wellness pharmacy chain with stores nationwide. Positions Happy Earth People products alongside health food and supplement offerings. Over 150 Dis-Chem locations listed.
• SPARcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent supermarket chain with Superspar, Kwikspar, and local Spar stores. Products available in health food sections across numerous locations.
• Wellness WarehousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealth-focused retail chain with stores in Cape Town and Pretoria. Targets health-conscious consumer segment aligned with Happy Earth People brand positioning.
• Faithful to NaturecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline natural and organic retailer. Products available through Faithful to Nature website, expanding digital distribution reach.
• YuppiechefminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouth African kitchenware and specialty food online retailer. Provides access to cooking-enthusiast customer base.
• JarBarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealthy meal delivery service using reusable jars. JarBar creates recipes featuring Happy Earth People pasta, including Roasted Butternut pasta dishes. Demonstrates product versatility in food service applications.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Simple Mills: Simple Mills makes gluten-free, grain-free crackers, cookies, and baking mixes using almond flour and other alternative ingredients. Directly comparable for Happy Earth People's chickpea cookie line on positioning (clean-label, gluten-free, natural ingredients) and target consumer.
• Explore Cuisine: Explore Cuisine produces a broad range of legume-based pastas (chickpea, red lentil, edamame, black bean) and protein noodles. Direct overlap on legume-pasta platform targeting health-conscious and gluten-free consumers.
• Banza: Banza is a US-based pioneer in chickpea-based pasta (penne, rotini, spaghetti) and other legume-based products. Directly comparable product portfolio (chickpea/lentil pasta) and target consumer (health-conscious, gluten-free, plant-protein seekers); both compete in the same premium legume-pasta category.
• Orgran: Orgran is an Australian-founded, globally distributed brand specializing in gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-friendly pastas, breads, and snacks. Comparable in being a multi-SKU gluten-free/plant-based CPG brand with broad retail distribution in health food channels.
• Tolerant Foods: Tolerant Foods makes single-ingredient legume pastas (red lentil, green lentil, chickpea) positioned as gut-friendly, plant-based alternatives to wheat pasta. Direct product overlap with Happy Earth People's 100% legume pasta line; same gluten-free, high-protein value proposition.
• Chickapea: Chickapea makes chickpea and lentil pasta blends in penne, rotini, and spaghetti formats. Comparable product format (legume pasta) and target market (gluten-free, plant-based, high-protein); useful as a North American pricing and distribution benchmark.

Broad incumbents

• Catelli (Smucker): Catelli is a major North American pasta brand (now part of Smucker) that markets gluten-free and Banza co-branded legume pastas. Comparable in pasta category leadership with legume-based extensions; relevant incumbent benchmark for retail strategy.
• Barilla: Barilla is the world's largest pasta manufacturer and has introduced its own gluten-free and legume-based pasta lines (e.g., Protein+). It competes broadly in the same category but as part of a much larger portfolio across mainstream retail; a key incumbent threat to niche legume-pasta brands.
• De Cecco: De Cecco is a premium Italian pasta brand with growing gluten-free and specialty product lines. Comparable in targeting premium pasta consumers but operates at a much larger scale and broader category scope than Happy Earth People's niche.

Emerging players

• Lenny & Larry's: Lenny & Larry's produces plant-protein cookies (including vegan, gluten-free SKUs) with a high-protein, better-for-you positioning. Partial overlap with Happy Earth People's chickpea cookie line in the better-for-you snacking category; relevant as a US benchmark for protein-cookie branding and retail pricing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/happyearthpeople
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/happy-earth-people

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about happy earth people