Calling South African makers

Got something cats would stage a minor coup for?

The Apartment Cat is looking for South African makers, farmers, product developers and small businesses creating thoughtful, safe and genuinely useful products for cats. We want clever ideas, unusual formats, beautiful design, strong functionality, or something South African cat households simply cannot find yet.

Bonus points if you’re a women-led business, but we don’t discriminate. Anyone with the right product is welcome to apply. Selection is based on product fit, safety, quality, commercial viability and whether His Majesty can be persuaded to approve it.

What we are looking for

Anything made for cats is worth pitching if it is safe, well made and genuinely useful or interesting. We are especially interested in:

freeze-dried and raw foods, complete meals, meal toppers and treats;
single-ingredient freeze-dried treats, including chicken, duck or ostrich hearts, grass-fed meat or organ treats and other suitable proteins;
cat-safe lollipops, quail-egg products, goat’s milk powders or shelf-stable milk products, broths, novel proteins and other formats doing well internationally but still difficult to find in South Africa;
distinctive toys, puzzle feeders, hunting and enrichment products;
compact, multifunctional and made-to-order cat furniture, including scratchers, beds, window products and clever small-space solutions;
stylish, design-led cat furniture that blends naturally into modern homes, including cute, unusual, sculptural or genuinely different pieces;
grooming, travel, wellness and household products designed specifically with cats in mind; and
other strange little strokes of genius that do not fit neatly into a category.

The product does not have to be completely unprecedented. It does need a clear reason to exist.

Bonus points for packaging that is cute, colourful, polished, beautifully presented or creatively branded. We are drawn to products with shelf appeal and personality rather than generic, basic presentation. This is a preference, not a requirement: a strong product with simple packaging is still welcome, and packaging can often be improved as the product grows.

Our two-phase submission process

Please begin with Phase 1 only. We will request the full Phase 2 pack if the product is shortlisted. This prevents small makers from completing a lengthy dossier before we know whether the product fits our current buying plans.

Phase 1: Send us the idea

Email linda@theapartmentcat.com with the subject line Local supplier submission – [brand and product].

Your initial pitch should include:

your business name, city or province and contact person, plus a website or social-media link if you have one. Neither is required;
the product name and a short explanation of what it is;
why it is suitable for cats and what makes it different or useful;
the selling price you have in mind and the amount you would need to receive for each unit sold on consignment;
confirmation that you are willing to begin with a small consignment trial if the product is approved;
your approximate production lead time and where you can deliver;
two or three clear photographs or a link showing the actual product; and
for edible or ingestible products, the full ingredient list, basic production method, storage requirements and current regulatory or registration status.

That is enough for Phase 1. Do not prepare the full media pack or send anything yet. Allow up to 15 working days for an initial review. We may only respond individually where a product fits our current buying plans.

If the idea looks promising, we will ask for one evaluation sample and provide delivery details privately. The sample may be opened, used, tested or consumed and therefore cannot always be returned. Sending a sample does not guarantee a listing. If it passes testing, we will discuss the Phase 2 information and a small consignment trial.

A website and an existing social-media audience are not required to apply. If we launch the product, however, the supplier should be willing to maintain at least a basic taggable business presence on Instagram or Facebook, ideally both. This allows us to credit one another, share launch content and build visibility together.

Phase 2: Shortlisted-product pack

If the initial pitch and requested test sample pass our review, we will request the information and assets relevant to that particular product before a consignment listing can be approved. Please do not proceed to Phase 2 until invited.

The Phase 2 list below describes our ideal launch pack, not a rigid test that every product must pass in exactly the same way. Some requirements will not apply to certain foods, handmade products or made-to-order items, and reasonable alternatives can be discussed. Please do not abandon a good idea simply because you cannot provide every asset yet. Product safety, accurate information and any legally applicable food, labelling or regulatory requirements are not negotiable.

1. Commercial and supply information

the proposed retail price and the supplier payment required for each unit sold;
VAT status, if registered. VAT registration is not required;
the proposed opening consignment quantity, case-pack quantity and practical restock quantity;
delivery costs, delivery areas, order cut-off times and lead times;
current stock, monthly production capacity and expected stock continuity;
SKU, barcode and available sizes, colours, flavours or other variants;
the preferred consignment payment cycle and complete proposed consignment terms;
returns, damage, defect, shelf-life and recall arrangements; and
any existing retail distribution, territorial restrictions or exclusivity arrangements.

Consignment proposals must explain the revenue split, payment cycle, stock ownership, stock reconciliation, damage, returns and unsold-stock process.

2. Complete product information

The Apartment Cat will write and format the final product page in our own voice. Suppliers are not expected to write noir copy. We do, however, require complete and accurate facts. Please do not send copied competitor descriptions or vague AI-generated claims.

For every product, provide:

the exact product and variant names;
a factual one-paragraph product summary;
the main customer problem, need or use case;
the key features and substantiated benefits;
materials, composition or construction method;
exact dimensions, weight and capacity where applicable;
colours, sizes, flavours and all other variants;
what is included in the package;
the intended cat size, age, life stage or household type;
clear instructions for use, assembly, cleaning, care and disposal;
safety warnings, supervision requirements and unsuitable uses;
country of manufacture and manufacturer details;
warranty, repair or replacement information; and
certifications, testing reports or substantiation for any special claims.

3. Additional information for food, treats and ingestible products

Edible does not mean informal. Food, treats, supplements, raw products and other ingestible items must comply with all South African requirements applicable to their manufacture, labelling, storage, transport, sale and marketing.

Provide:

the complete ingredient list in descending order, exactly as it should appear on the label;
additives, preservatives, flavourings and potential allergens;
guaranteed analysis, analytical constituents or other required nutritional analysis;
protein or flavour, texture and whether the product is complete, complementary, a topper or a treat;
the intended species, life stage and any restrictions or contraindications;
feeding guide, serving size and calorie information where available;
net weight or volume and units per pack;
unopened shelf life and shelf life after opening;
batch or lot system, manufacture date and best-before or expiry format;
storage instructions and any refrigeration, freezing or cold-chain requirements;
manufacturer, production facility and country of origin;
applicable registration, approval, licence or facility information;
laboratory, microbiological, nutritional or safety reports where relevant; and
substantiation for health, functional or therapeutic claims.

Unsupported medical or therapeutic claims will not be accepted. The supplier remains responsible for product safety, manufacturing quality, accurate information, defects, recalls and promptly notifying us of any formulation, packaging or regulatory change.

4. Required product images

Supply a minimum of six useful images per product. Additional images are required where variants differ visibly.

Hero image: one square image, ideally 2000 × 2000 pixels, with the entire product centred against a white, transparent or clean neutral background.
Packaging: clear front, back and relevant side views. Ingredients, instructions, warnings and other label information must be readable.
Product detail: the actual item outside its packaging, including texture, finish, mechanism or other important close-ups.
Scale: an image that makes the real size clear, preferably beside or being used by a cat where appropriate.
In use: at least one well-lit image of the product being used correctly by a real cat.
Lifestyle: at least one clean, appealing image in a realistic home setting.
Social-media crop: at least two vertical 4:5 images, minimum 1080 × 1350 pixels.

Use JPG or PNG files in the sRGB colour profile. Product images should be at least 2000 pixels on the longest side unless a specific size is stated above. Do not send HEIC files, screenshots, compressed WhatsApp images, collages, heavy filters, watermarks or images with promotional text added. Colours, proportions and packaging must be accurate.

Name files clearly, for example: Brand_Product_Front.jpg. A Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer link is preferable to dozens of email attachments.

5. Required marketing video

Each approved product requires at least one finished short-form video and supporting raw footage. Simple smartphone footage is acceptable if it is sharp, well lit, stable and properly framed.

Finished video specification:

vertical 9:16 format;
1080 × 1920 pixels;
15–30 seconds long;
MP4 preferred, using a widely compatible format such as H.264;
24, 25 or 30 frames per second;
clear audio where speech or product sound matters;
no TikTok or platform watermark; and
no copyrighted or unlicensed music.

The timing should match the actual length of the video:

For a video of about 15 seconds:

0–2 seconds: an immediate visual or verbal hook;
2–5 seconds: the cat-owner problem, frustration or desire;
5–12 seconds: the product in use, its key differentiator and clearest benefit; and
12–15 seconds: proof, result or a simple call to action.

For a video of about 30 seconds:

0–2 seconds: an immediate visual or verbal hook;
2–6 seconds: the cat-owner problem, frustration or desire;
6–22 seconds: the product in use, important features and benefits;
22–27 seconds: proof, result or reason to believe; and
27–30 seconds: a simple call to action.

Videos between 15 and 30 seconds can use the same sequence, with most of the available time given to the demonstration and benefit.

The product should appear within the first three seconds. Do not begin with a long logo animation, company history or a person introducing themselves. Show the product in real use, keep packaging legible and use a real cat behaving naturally and safely.

Please provide:

one finished video with captions or on-screen text;
one clean version without added text, music or a platform watermark so we can adapt it for advertising; and
four to six additional vertical raw clips of approximately 5–10 seconds each, including a product close-up, packaging, the product in use, a feature demonstration and the result or benefit.

Keep important action, faces, product details and text away from the extreme top and bottom edges so platform controls do not cover them. Landscape footage placed inside a vertical frame with black bars is not suitable.

6. Content permission

The supplier must own the submitted images, video, music, voice and other content, or have written permission to provide it. By supplying approved marketing assets, the supplier must permit The Apartment Cat to use, crop, edit, caption, resize and adapt them for the website, email, organic social media and paid advertising while keeping the product information accurate.

Any people appearing in content must have consented to its commercial use. Animals must be handled safely, and unsafe demonstrations will not be published.

How the trial works

We are a growing independent retailer, not a national chain wearing a local hat. After an approved sample test, new local products will begin with a small consignment quantity. The Apartment Cat will not purchase opening stock upfront.

The supplier will retain ownership of consignment stock until it is sold, unless a written agreement states otherwise. The Apartment Cat will market, list, sell and fulfil the product, then pay the agreed supplier amount for units sold according to the agreed payment cycle. Stock reconciliation, damage, expiry, returns, unsold stock and collection or delivery arrangements will be agreed in writing before stock is accepted.

We will begin with a deliberately small quantity of consignment stock.
A shortlist, sample or trial does not guarantee an ongoing listing, order volume or exclusivity.
Sales may begin slowly while awareness and trust are built.
If the product gains traction, we will reorder and scale sensibly.
No supply agreement exists until commercial terms have been agreed in writing.

Realistic growth expectations

The Apartment Cat is also a growing business. Supplying us is not the same as placing a product in Pick n Pay and suddenly reaching thousands of shoppers. Stock may move slowly at first, awareness can take time to build, and we cannot guarantee a particular sales volume or speed.

We are looking for suppliers who understand the natural growth path: begin small, test the product, learn from customers, improve the offer and build demand over time. A slow beginning does not necessarily mean that the product has no future. The aim is to create a long-term path in which both businesses can grow together if the product proves itself.

The more useful creative material a supplier gives us—fresh photographs, product demonstrations, raw video clips, customer-use content, new hooks and different selling angles—the more we have to work with when promoting the product. Continued creative support does not guarantee sales, but it gives the product a much better chance than one set of launch images followed by silence.

Suppliers should be patient, responsive and willing to keep improving the product, packaging, information and marketing as we learn what customers respond to.

The proposed retail price and supplier payment must allow a sustainable retail margin. The Apartment Cat lists, promotes, advertises, fulfils and supports the product, and paid marketing is expensive. A workable margin is not an attempt to exploit a maker; it is what allows both businesses to continue selling the product.

Send a Phase 1 product pitch