In a retail environment often driven by price and promotion, Dutoit is tapping into something more enduring, the sayings and advice shared across South African families, and the role food plays in keeping those traditions alive.
Ahead of Apple Pie Day on 13 May, the brand has invited its community to share the words that have stayed with them over the years, from light-hearted phrases to the kind of advice passed down from parents and grandparents.
These have been transformed into a series of collectable fridge magnets, available in Dutoit apple packs at Pick n Pay during May, bringing everyday wisdom into one of the most lived-in spaces in the home.
Across South Africa’s diverse households, food remains one of the few rituals that consistently brings people together. Whether it’s preparing a meal, baking on a weekend, or gathering around the table, the kitchen often becomes a space where stories are shared, values are reinforced, and small pieces of advice are passed down through generations. For Dutoit, as a family-focused business, Apple Pie Day offers a natural moment to reflect this.
“Apple pie is more than just a dish, it’s a symbol of comfort, home and time spent together,” says Gysbert du Toit, Commercial Director at Dutoit. “In our family, baking and sharing apple pie has always been part of how we connect. It’s in these moments, around the table, that conversations unfold, advice is shared, and the sayings you grow up hearing become part of who you are.
As a staple in South African kitchens, apples are closely tied to these everyday moments. Apple pie, in particular, remains a familiar favourite. A recipe often passed down, adapted and recreated across generations. Each year, Dutoit strives to share Apple Pie Day with our consumers.
The campaign builds on this insight, using something simple and recognisable, a fridge magnet to capture and preserve the words that shape family life. Submissions included phrases shared across multiple South African languages, reflecting the diversity of households and the many ways wisdom is passed down from one generation to the next. From familiar sayings like “Feed people with love,” “Moenie vergeet om jouself te geniet nie,” and “Phakama, uzame kwakhona,” to more personal expressions rooted in different cultural contexts, these words speak to the humour, resilience and practicality that define everyday life in South Africa.
By turning these sayings into keepsakes, Dutoit connects the emotional resonance of home cooking with the daily rhythms of family life, where the fridge often serves as a quiet record of what matters most.
As part of the campaign, shoppers who collect all four magnets can enter a competition to win a ceramic pie dish personalised with their chosen saying, turning a shared phrase into a lasting family memento.
For Dutoit, the initiative is ultimately about recognising that food traditions are about more than recipes.
“In many homes, what’s passed down isn’t just how to cook, it’s how to live,” says Gysbert. “Apple Pie Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate that in a way that feels personal, familiar and distinctly South African.”
Dutoit apples will carry the collectable magnets at Pick n Pay stores nationwide during May
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