Why South Africa is running out of Marmite

“I AM DISTRAUGHT because I am about to finish my last jar,” says Irine Mboweni, a resident of Johannesburg and mother of two. “There is no Marmite on the shelves and I do not know what to do.” Amid the many tragedies befalling the world, a shortage of glossy dark goo to spread on bread is surely small beer. But not to the millions of South Africans who, quite inexplicably, like the salty sludge and are struggling to cope with the worst Marmite shortage since the end of apartheid.

The love-it-or-loathe-it spread, invented in Britain at the start of the 20th century, is an extract of yeast. It is most commonly eaten spread thinly on buttered toast, but it can also be used to add a rich, vegan-friendly umami flavour to soups, stews and sauces.