SA StartUp Wonderbag Seeks To Allow Daily Cooking Without Power
SA StartUp Wonderbag Seeks To Allow Daily Cooking Without Power. Founded by Sarah Collins in 2008, the Wonderbag was developed as a solution to the South African energy shortage forcing blackouts across the country – with the aim of allowing families to continue cooking daily meals even with the absence of power.
Inspired by a method her grandmother had used in the 1970s to help save power when cooking, and similar to the concept of a haybox – which was used to keep food warm and preserve fuel during World War Two – Sarah first tested her idea by surrounding a pan of hot food with cushions after she had turned off the stove.
The brainwave was a success, and to her amazement the food had continued to cook for several hours! From here, Sarah developed the Wonderbag and started taking them into communities to see first-hand the impact they could have. The reaction from the women was overwhelming, and Sarah knew straight away that this simple idea had the potential to change billions of lives around the world.
Globally, the world is experiencing record energy prices and soaring carbon emissions, placing significant financial pressure on households, and the planet. In addition, 2.5 billion people still cook over an open fire each day. This causes significant emissions, widespread deforestation, burdens women with hours of unpaid labour, and jeopardizes their health. Wonderbag Seeks to be the solution to this crisis.
Handmade in South Africa, the Wonderbag is a simple, but revolutionary, non-electric slow cooker. After bringing a pot of food to the boil and placing it in a Wonderbag, the food will continue cooking for up to eight hours without any additional energy source. No battery, plug or fuel required – just simple heat retention technology.
When a Wonderbag is used by women in developing countries, it transforms lives. Time that was previously spent collecting firewood and tending the fire, can now be spent in education, employment, or setting up their own business. Wonderbag therefore acts as a catalyst for female empowerment and resilient communities, helping to support all 17 Sustainable Development Goals along the way.
The company’s social impact is not limited to developing countries. As a social enterprise it partners with organizations helping families struggling with the cost of living crisis, using the Wonderbag to their reduce energy bills and ease their financial worries.
