About Freedom Stationery

WE BELIEVE IN LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS AND GROWTH

Freedom Stationery is one of South Africa’s largest and most trusted stationery brands that offers a comprehensive, top quality range of school, office and household stationery items that are as durable as they are affordable.

The brand is always top of mind when it comes to children’s back to school needs (and any other time of the year) to ensure that learners are kitted out and fully stocked with everything that they need and is required by their respective schools.

Freedom Stationery also takes care of businesses and general population by way of dependable office supplies as well as stationery items that are needed around the house.

Established in 1987 in Isithebe, KwaZulu-Natal, Freedom Stationery celebrated its quarter century of existence in 2012, with many exciting milestones to attest to their success. The last three eventful decades have witnessed the stationery manufacturer grow from a fledgling competitor to a well-respected leader in its field of expertise. This phenomenal growth of the brand has subsequently resulted in Freedom Stationery setting up five fully-fledged branches with nationwide distribution.

Additionally, the company developed its export market and currently exports to Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and other neighbouring countries. Interstat is a division that was acquired in 2018 that has enjoyed a rich and long history as a stationery and office product distributor operating in Southern Africa. Established in 1992, Interstat is the perfect fit for Freedom Stationery with its reputation on an offering based on the highest level of integrity and exceptional service at every level. The acquisition allows Freedom access to the commercial market, where Interstat is well-known for its speedy delivery and efficient turnaround times. Interstat holds sole distribution rights to a collection of international brands and products, including its house brand, NEXX. With an ever-growing list of commercial stationer items, Interstat is perfectly placed to ensure that customers are able to find exactly what they need, all in one place.

Freedom Stationery boasts a wide range of scholastic material and home and office stationery supplies. We are proudly and strategically poised to expand on our current export endevours and will be offering a wider distribution network into the rest of Africa and the world.

OUR INFRASTRUCTURE

In 2000 the company invested in an extrusion, injection moulding and conversion plastics plant in Cape Town called Oyster Plastics and by July 2003 this division was moved to Isithebe, leaving the Cape Town plant as a distribution warehouse. The plastic division specialises in filing sleeves, display books, presentation files, secretarial folders, Spacecases, rulers and other polypropylene products. In July 2003, the company acquired a distribution warehouse in Midrand, Gauteng, a massive milestone in the company’s history. Freedom Stationery was now in close proximity to its existing customers which afforded them the opportunity to increase its market share as well as attract new customers.

OUR milestones

In August 2003, the company obtained machinery for the manufacture of lever arch and ring binder files, as well as a printing machine for design covers. The demand for these new products was phenomenal and by July 2004 Freedom Stationery had also acquired a company in the Kempton Park area that manufactured lever arch and ring binder files. The file plant trades under the name South African File Manufacturers (Pty) Ltd. 

By April 2008 the company had opened its East London branch and by October that same year the company was certified as ISO 9001:2008 compliant which was a noteworthy achievement. Freedom Stationery is currently a Level 1 Broad Black Based Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) contributor. 

In 2012 Freedom Stationery moved its main distribution centre from its Head Office in Isithebe to a 12 000m2 warehouse in Prospecton, Durban, and has since moved to a 18 500m2 warehouse in Mount Edgecombe, Durban. This move has allowed for a more efficient logistics management process to the various branches nationwide. 

Freedom Stationery boasts a total of over one hundred thousand square metres of warehouse holding space and a vast fleet of delivery vehicles to ensure excellent service delivery. 

Freedom Stationery’s core business remains the manufacturing of scholastic books with volumes in excess of 100 million books per year awarding the company the title of largest manufacturer of scholastic books in the southern hemisphere.

We have successfully established ourselves as one of South Africa’s leading stationery brands because of our meticulous attention to the details of each manufactured product, ensuring consist high quality that has earned us unrivalled brand loyalty and trust from end users.

Corporate social investment

Freedom Stationery is also quite actively involved in corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives such as sponsorships, donations and getting actively involved in helping surrounding communities, that we strongly believe in because we are strategically placed in the market for enhancing children’s educational process by providing the right comprehensive tools where necessary. We are also investing to going beyond doing roadshows with hampers and donations that reach underprivileged schools and learners around the country who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access quality learning materials.

Opened doors in Isithebe
Purchased Oyster Plastics (based in Cape Town)
Moved Oyster Plastics to Isithebe
Opened Midrand branch
Purchased ‘Marlin’ brand
Purchased file making machinery
Purchased South African File Manufacturers
Introduced ‘Marlin Kids’ brand
Opened East London branch
Certified ISO 9001:2008 compliant
Opened Prospecton (Durban) branch, and moved sales and warehousing from Head office to Durban
Certified as a Level Two B-BBEE contributor
Opened Durban warehouse at Mount Edgecombe
Freedom Printpak moved to bigger premises at Mt. Edgecombe
Launched new packaging across Marlin and Marlin Kids ranges
Acquired Interstat
Certified as a Level One B-BBEE contributor
January, 1987
January, 1998
July, 2003
July, 2003
July, 2003
August, 2003
July, 2004
August, 2007
November, 2007
Certified ISO 9001:2008 compliant
April, 2012
July, 2012
2015
August 2016
2017
August 2018
2018