On 1 March 1986, the South African business landscape was a world of rigid hierarchies and clearly defined boundaries. In the paper industry, the lines were drawn in ink that rarely smudged: there were the giant mills, the established merchants and the retailers. It was against this backdrop, in the heart of the Free State, that Conquest Paper was born. As the company celebrates its 40th anniversary, it stands not merely as a paper merchant, but as a monument to the power of a leap of faith.
The story of Conquest Paper is the story of its founder and Managing Director, Steve Roberts, a man whose career trajectory was defined by his refusal to be a mere cog in a corporate machine. It is the story of an independent paper merchant that survived the tides of political change, economic volatility and a global pandemic by remaining fiercely local and uncompromisingly excellent.
A maverick spirit
The genesis of Conquest Paper lay in a moment of professional rebellion. Steve Roberts had already established himself as a formidable force in the industry, having been headhunted by Wiggins Teape (a precursor to Antalis) as a sales representative with the opposition. He was appointed as their Bloemfontein Branch Manager in 1982. Yet, for a man with an entrepreneurial heartbeat, the constraints of corporate life began to chafe. Roberts possessed an innate drive that was ill-suited to the prescriptive nature of large-scale organisations.
Reflecting on that pivotal shift in 1986, Roberts noted the internal fire that pushed him toward independence: ‘I always thought I could go on my own. I was brash and didn’t like corporate structure; I didn’t like being told rather than having discussions, so I decided to go on my own.’
Taking the Free State, Lesotho and Northern Cape territory with him, he struck a pragmatic and vital deal with the management at Wiggins Teape. This agreement was the lifeblood of the fledgling merchant: it allowed Roberts to purchase stock directly from his former employer to supply the loyal customer base he had cultivated over nine years.
By transitioning from manager to merchant, he could continue serving his clients without interruption, but finally under his own banner. It was a bold move that bypassed the safety of a corporate salary in favour of the uncertainty - and the immense potential - of the open market.
To understand the scale of what Conquest Paper has achieved, one must appreciate the industry’s evolution. In 1986, the hierarchy was absolute. The mills produced the stock, the merchants held the inventory and the customers bought from the merchants. There was no "buying direct" for the average retailer. However, qualifying as a paper merchant was not about creditworthiness or service; it was about raw volume.
In those early days, Conquest Paper was classified as a "mini merchant", a title reserved for those who could move significant stock but were not yet among the industry titans, forcing the company to operate within these margins for years.
In 1989, Roberts looked beyond the borders of South Africa, attempting to establish the first paper merchant in the Indian Ocean Islands. Being a mini merchant, it was necessary to bring another merchant on board to have the direct supply from a mill which led to Roberts being involved with Wiggins Teape once again, culminating with the launch of a joint venture called Mauvilac Wiggins Teape (MWT).
‘After three years, I returned to South Africa as the Mauritian pace was too slow for me and there was no long term prospects of growth and continued to run Conquest Paper, while somebody else took over MWT. The company continued to grow and expand its Bloemfontein footprint, getting whatever market we were able to. In the early 90s mill requirements had started to soften and through our continued growth, we were able to buy direct from them,’ Roberts shared.
‘Mondi was phenomenal. They said that they were happy with our volumes and were willing to supply us, so we started to buy a lot more stock from them. Being in the “chicken and the egg” situation, the more we bought direct, the better we were able to do from cutting out the middleman, the more we could purchase from them.’
By cutting out the middleman, Conquest Paper secured a large share of the regional market. This transition from a mini merchant to a direct-buying powerhouse allowed the company to offer better pricing and more consistent stock, solidifying its position even against the largest national competitors in the region. In those days there were four merchants in the area.
The expansion continued decades later with the opening of a Cape Town branch in 2013. This move was deeply personal, spurred by Roberts’ enduring relationship with his first boss and mentor, Gerry Pypers. The Cape Town operation brought a new dimension to the company: a full Strachan Henshaw sheeter. This infrastructure allowed Conquest to perform sheeting for customers in-house and facilitated an increase in imports, thanks to the proximity of the port.
However, the Cape Town chapter also highlighted the intrinsically human nature of being a local paper merchant. When Pypers became ill in 2016, the branch lost its local face. This, combined with the cataclysmic impact of the 2020 pandemic, which effectively shuttered operations for over a year, led to a strategic decision in 2022 to sell the Cape Town branch and refocus on the company’s inland heartland. It was a lesson in the importance of core focus; a return to the roots that had nourished the company for three decades.
The power of local
One of the most captivating aspects of Conquest Paper’s story is its cultural resilience. In an era of globalised, faceless corporations, Conquest has thrived by being unashamedly local. In the Free State, the company is part of the fabric of the community. Outsiders have tried to penetrate this market with satellite branches, but most have failed because they lack the "born and bred" authenticity that Conquest radiates.
‘It’s a case of: ‘Oh you’re a local. You were born local, your staff are local, you buy local and sell local – we love you. Well mostly anyway. This isn’t something that can be easily simulated by an outsider,’ he explained.
In 2016, Roberts was approached by staff from a competitor in Pretoria, asking if he’d be interested in doing something with them. He saw an opportunity to staff a new branch with experienced professionals from day one. The Pretoria branch has since become a meaningful pillar of the company, mirroring the Bloemfontein culture but on a busier scale.
Roberts described the synergy between the two cities as the secret to their success: ‘Pretoria has exactly the same culture – be it business culture, people culture and social culture. We don’t have the lion’s share by far in that region but it’s almost like Pretoria is Bloemfontein, just on steroids.’
The rise of packaging and Delipac
To survive 40 years, a merchant must be a chameleon. Conquest Paper has witnessed the decline of commercial papers such as bonds, carbonless and coated stock as the digital revolution has taken hold. In response, the company pivotally shifted its focus toward packaging grades, which now constitute a significant portion of its turnover.
Today, the product range is a sophisticated mix of Mondi A4, imported bonds and laser scripts as well as certain boards from the Middle East. It also supplies regular commercial coated paper and carbonless from China, folding box boards from the East and other paper stock from Europe. Yet, the crowning jewel of its current offering is Delipac Food Grade board.
In a world increasingly weary of greenwashing, Delipac represents a genuine revolution. It is a biodegradable, recyclable food-grade board that is entirely free of plastic laminates and extruded polymers. It provides multi-barriers against moisture and grease without using harmful fluorocarbons (PFOA, PFOH, PFAS). As an exclusive product of Conquest Paper, Delipac is a game-changer for converters. It is freezable, chillable, microwavable, ovenable and self-sealable, yet remains truly eco-friendly.
Roberts is clear about the company's direction. While the South African market remains price-sensitive, Conquest is positioning itself as a leader for the green transition. The merchant recognises that the traditional method of exporting plastic-coated waste to countries like India is no longer sustainable. By offering niche, high-barrier products like Delipac, the company is moving into the future of packaging with a conscience.
The human legacy: A culture of excellence
Perhaps the most persuasive argument for the success of Conquest Paper is found not in its balance sheets, but in its staff roster. In an age of high employee turnover, Conquest boasts a level of loyalty that is almost unheard of. The company employs individuals who have been part of the family for 37 and 32 years respectively. In the Pretoria branch, 8 of the 12 employees have been with the company for a decade.
This loyalty is a direct reflection of the Managing Director's personal philosophy. Roberts has fostered an environment built on honesty, integrity and the “package deal” of service where all the staff have a shareholding in the company. He recalls the advice of his father: ‘Strive for excellence not perfection because perfection is both futile and a waste of time.’ This mandate for excellence has been the North Star for the company's 40 plus employees.
The company’s motto, "The best of both worlds," encapsulates its unique position: it possesses the global clout to source niche papers from around the world, yet maintains the intimate, high-touch service of a local merchant who knows their customers by name.
Looking ahead: The next 40 years
As Conquest Paper enters its fifth decade, the vision is one of steady, purposeful growth. There are no plans to overextend into new territories; instead, the focus is on expanding product lines within the paper packaging sector and deepening relationships with converters. The goal is to remain a niche specialist, providing paper packaging lines like Delipac to a market that increasingly values quality and sustainability.
The message to staff, suppliers and customers is one of profound gratitude. Conquest has survived economic shifts, a global pandemic and the consolidation of the industry because of the people who chose to stay with the company. Many customers who began buying from Roberts in the 1980s are still on the books today - a testament to a business built on handshakes and kept promises.
‘Long service at the company says something about the company; we have great staff from management all across the board, but it certainly says something for our customers as well. We aren’t fly-by-nights. We’re still going to be around and still be in the same building albeit expanded,’ Roberts asserted.
Conquest Paper reaches its 40th anniversary not as a relic of the past, but as a vibrant, adapting leader of the present. From the brash beginnings in Bloemfontein to the cutting-edge sustainable boards of today, the company remains a shining example of what happens when excellence is the only standard.
As it continues to operate from the same streets that saw its birth, one thing is certain: Conquest Paper is here to stay, serving the heart of South Africa with the same integrity that defined its first day in 1986.