From the ordinary
comes an explosion of
energy & expansion
-
a Supernova.
Founded in 2014, Supernova Brands has
been at the forefront of home and tech distribution
through key omni-channels in South Africa.
ABOUT SUPERNOVA BRANDS
Our history
ABOUT SUPERNOVA BRANDS
Mission + Vision
Our mission is to bring extraordinary products and brands that are at the forefront of technology, style and innovation into the omni-channel retail space by building strong, strategic, long-term partnerships with South Africa’s best omni-channel retailers.
Our Vision is to distribute the best consumer brands and products on the planet through the best South African retail and e-commerce channels. We want to know that we have earned this by offering unparalleled value to the customers we serve and the products we represent.
PRODUCT APPROACH
The 6 Supernova S'
Our approach to brand selection and distribution is simple: All products need to adhere to our principles for success; known as the Supernova 6 S’ :
Our leadership
Jan Parmentier
CEO | FOUNDER
Born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium, Jan moved to South Africa in 2010. Upon finishing his Bachelor degree in Law at the University of Antwerp, he chose to participate in a university exchange program with UCT whilst doing his Master Degree in law. Jan soon established J and J Rewards in 2014 as an import and distribution company to the emerging e-commerce industry in South Africa. Fast forward to 2023, with a lot of growth later, Jan rebranded the company to Supernova Brands as a realignment to our core vision and mission. Jan has extensive knowledge in logistics, e-commerce, and business development and is currently focussed on streamlining the company, overseeing strategic investment decisions and managing our respective divisions.
Christo Kok
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Christo Kok has been involved in over 40 M&A and debt structuring transactions, with values exceeding R10bn. He specializes in deal and tax structuring, transaction negotiations and performance management of investments. He has worked on transactions in South Africa, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Cyprus and Australia. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant of South Africa in 2010, having articled with PwC. He obtained a B. Acc (Cum Laude) and B. Acc (Hons) from the University of the Free State and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
CHRIS BEART
NON – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Chris Beart (BCom, Hons Marketing, MBA (UCT)) has consulted too,managed, and owned numerous operations and sales-oriented businesses. After starting his career and quickly climbing the corporate ladder at one of SA’s biggest companies, SA Breweries, he decided to consolidate his experience by studying an MBA at the UCT Graduate School of Business. After completing his master’s degree, Chris managed business both for himself as well as for corporates. This experience made him very effective in the Management Consulting and M&A space, which he has been doing over the last 12 years. Chris is not only able to structure and execute buy and sell side deals, but he is also able to add significant, hands on value to these entities post acquisition.
Meet the team
Marais Goosen
HEAD OF DIVISION: TECH & BRANDS
Born and bred in Cape Town, South Africa. Marais obtained a bachelor’s degree in Logistics and a post-graduate degree in Transport Economics at the University of Stellenbosch. His career started in 2015 at a JSE-listed logistics company; followed by extensive procurement and sales experience at one of South Africa’s largest e-commerce companies in 2016. In 2019, he became Co-Founder of the Bespoke & Co Furniture brand. Marais joined J and J Rewards as their Business Development Executive in 2020 and became Sales Director in 2021. Marais established the Tech & Brands Division for Supernova Brands in 2023 and is currently heading up the development of the division.
Jessica Adant
HEAD OF DIVISION: HOME & LIVING
Jessica studied a 3 year BComm Management Sciences degree as well as a 1 year Honours degree in Strategy & Innovation at the University of Stellenbosch. Fresh out of varsity, Jess started buying for one of South Africa’s biggest e-commerce websites and 2 years later was promoted to Buying Manager – looking after the buying team and ensuring the website had the latest & greatest products.She also worked for the Shoprite Group as a Rewards Buyer in the Xtra Savings department. Jess joined J and J Rewards as our head of procurement. In 2023, Jess established the Home & Living Division for Supernova Brands and is currently heading up the development of the division.
Rorke Smith
SALES MANAGER
Rorke studied a 3-year BComm Business Management degree as well as a 1 year Honours in Business Management. Sharpening his teeth in the financial sector selling offshore investments, he soon made a transition to another sales avenue at Shoprite where he sold over 8000 SKUS to restaurants. Rorke started his J And J Career as a Key Account Manager for our major retail accounts. In 2023, Rorke became our Sales Manager for the Tech & Brands Division, overseeing key strategic rollouts and partnerships with our core customer base. When he’s not at the office (which is not often), Rorke enjoys running, gaming and the wholesome beer with friends and family.
Azraa Adams
JUNIOR KEY ACCOUNTS MANAGER
Azraa did a 3-year Marketing & Business Management degree at the University of South Africa and also has an Advanced Diploma in English and Literature. With the keen ability to craft fine and persuasive emails, Azraa started her career in as a marketing and promotions intern, followed by sales consultancy in the pet health sector. Azraa joined J and J Rewards as our tech sales coordinator. Azraa excelled in her new role quickly and soon moved over to bigger accounts. She is currently overseeing our core accounts and implementing retail rollout strategies as a Key Accounts Manager for the Tech & Brands Division. Azraa enjoys time with family and shooting her colleagues with nerf guns to get their attention.
Andre Van Der Merwe
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER
Andre originally hails from Gaborone, Botswana, but is considered Cape Townian after moving down 7 years go. Andre completed his degree in Bcom in Strategic Brand Management at Vega prior to his 5+ years experience in the hospitality management industry. Andre joined Supernova Brands in 2023 as the Key Account Manager for the Home & Living Division. When he’s not providing world-class service to our clients, he enjoys spending time on gardening, DIY projects, family, and (of course) his two lovely dogs.
Julian Martingano
SYSTEMS & INTEGRATION MANAGER
Julian joined our team straight out of Johannesburg where he studied a BBA Marketing Management at the IMM Graduate School. Before joining J&J Rewards as our junior online account manager , he worked full time in the E-comm retail industry while completing his degree. After a year of in-depth training and numerous successful system integration projects later, Julian became our systems & integration manager in 2023. Julian lives for stats, graphs and refining processes with the ultimate goal of one day being a veteran CEO. Until then, you will find him fine tuning our systems and optimising our marketplace sales like a new-age engine mechanic.
Lara Pinto
SUPPLY CHAIN COORDINATOR
Upon finishing her BComm Logistics Degree and Honours degree in Logistics & Supply Chain Management at the University of Stellenbosh, Lara hit the ground running by joining J & J Rewards as a buyer and sourcing assistant in December 2021. Her keen attention to detail and problem-solving soon got her the job of overseeing the purchasing and logistics operations for the company as our Supply Chain Coordinator in 2023. When she is not baking, going on adventures or updating the office on the latest social media trends, she is exploring the web to source new and cool products! Don’t let her age fool you, she is wise and always surprising beyond her years!
Jaycee van der Westhuizen
WAREHOUSE/OPS MANAGER
Jaycee boasts a wealth of Warehouse and Operations experience dating back to 2004. He has been involved with every aspect of the game and built his impressive career and sparkling reputation from the ground up. Before joining Supernova brands in 2023, Jaycee spent 8 years managing warehouse operations for one of the biggest e-commerce companies in South Africa. When Jaycee is not running our warehouse like a championship Tetris final, he enjoys spending time with his family and hitting sixes on the action cricket field.
Kerri-Lyn Van Wyk
FINANCIAL MANAGER
Lovelle Brandsen
OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR – RETAIL
Lovelle comes from a dynamic family that enlists honesty and dedication. She is fully committed to all tasks thrown her way. She’s always ready to help and to find a solution, so don’t be too surprised if you receive a follow up email at 9pm. Lovelle loves teaching these same values to her children to ensure they will be ready for all challenges the world may bring forward. She strives to be the best at assisting you with any day to day needs and ensure that all customer orders are signed, sealed and delivered on time. Every time.
Shadley Jardine
WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT
Shadley started his warehouse career 5 years ago and has been his passion eversince. Shadley is our gentle giant, style guru and unofficial Supernova bodyguard. If you don’t find Shadley carrying around big boxes for his team or urgently packing a last minute customer order, you can find him enjoying a nice cup of coffee or just looking tall, dark and loving in general.
Denford Munyuki
WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT
Denford, or as we call him Denny, is part of our efficient marketplace dispatch team. He may seem quiet at first but he always has a joke up his sleeve and a smile on his face. He packs orders and sends them out with laser-like precision. Dubbed the office sweetheart, he is always polite and cheerful, but with the strength of Goliath from all of his lifting. His claim to fame is being the younger brother of Craig David’s doppelgänger and being a published author of 2 books.
Sam Banda
WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT
They say a picture says a thousand words, but Sam’s picture says 10 000. He is as kind, tall and handsome as he looks. If fact, this photo does not do him justice. Sam can count stock like a barcode scanner, stick barcode like a professional scrapbooker and construct boxes like an origami master. When he’s not spending time fulfilling orders, he likes to go for long runs and spending time with his family.
Paul Claasen
WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT
Paul, or uncle Paul as the young guns call him, is our number one champion for putting out fires in the warehouse. Given his honourable career as a fire fighter before joining Supernova brands, he literally can! Apart from saving lives and customer orders, Paul enjoys an ice cold beer on the weekend and spending time with his loved ones.
Naeema Titus
WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT
Naeema joined Supernova Brands in 2022 and quickly found her feet in inventory control. Naeema is currently the proud custodian of all our tech stock at the Supernova DC; ensuring that our most valuable assets are accounted for and handled with care.
Bongile Magula
DRIVER
Bongile (or Bongs for short), is a strong competitor for being one of the kindest people we’ve ever employed. You can be sure to identify Bongile by his warming smile and strong arms on your next collection or delivery. You will likely also find yourself enticed to compliment Bongile on the cleanliness and shine of his delivery van.
Willow Van Eeden
OPERATIONS S SUPERVISOR – E COMMERCE
Originally from Johannesburg, Willow has lived all across South Africa, but firmly calls Cape Town home. With a diverse background ranging from the non-profit sector to e-commerce, she is an administrative all-rounder able to streamline, problem solve and break the norms; all in the name of impactful operations. After hours, you can find her with behind the lens of a film camera or with a cross stitch project in her hands.