Tag: South Africa

South Africa’s dry bean production expected to decline by 13% prompting rise in imports, reduction in exports

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SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa’s production and imports of dry beans have been declining over the past decade in correlation with a decrease in consumption. According to a recent report by USDA, South Africa’s dry bean production is relatively small, and averaged around 65,000 tons over the past five years, representing less than one percent of the country’s total summer field crop production. In the 2021 marketing year (MY), South Africa planted 47,390 hectares of dry beans, down six percent from the previous season. The Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) estimates…

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South Africa issues petroleum company bp with liquor licence first of its kind

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SOUTH AFRICA – The multinational oil and gas company, bp, has broken the record of becoming the first petroleum company in South Africa to be granted a liquor licence. The company has collaborated with one of its convenience partners, Pick n Pay, to offer a new product dubbed wine-to-go. With this, South Africans can pop in at Pick n Pay Express located at the petroleum station and grab a bottle. This according to bp forms part of its redefining convenience strateg, aimed to deliver a superior customer experience, whether in-store…

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Smart irrigation company SupPlant raises US$10m to grow presence in South Africa

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SOUTH AFRICA – Precision agriculture company SupPlant has raised US$10 million to widen the reach of its smart irrigation technology in the South African market. The company partnered with private equity firm Boresight Capital, social impact fund Menomadin Foundation, Israel-listed Smart-Agro Fund and Israel-headquartered investment company Mivtah Shamir, on the company’s latest fundraising round, bringing its total funding to US$19 million. SupPlant considers the South African market to have great potential, since farmers are dealing increasingly with unpredictable weather patterns, as a result of climate change. The SupPlant technology saves…

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South African packaging manufacturers Consol, Mpact expand production capacities to meet demand

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SOUTH AFRICA – South African glass packaging manufacturer, Consol Glass is set to re-embark on its R1.5 billion (US$106.69m) investment in a new factory which was indefinitely put on hold last year, due to the reduction in demand for glass products driven by the Covid-19 pandemic and government’s ban on the sale of alcohol. The glass maker has revealed that it is reviewing the decision after production and the sale of glass bottles returned to pre-Covid levels. To this end, CEO Mike Arnold told Business Live, that the company is…

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Pan-African investor EXEO Capital marks end of Agri-Vie Fund I, exits from South Africa’s Cape Olive

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SOUTH AFRICA – Pan-African alternative investment firm, EXEO Capital, has offloaded its majority stake in Cape Olive Holdings, one of South Africa’s largest table olive suppliers, to Imibala, a subsidiary of the Lona Group and co-shareholder in Cape Olive. EXEO Capital acquired 62.7% shares of the olive firm in 2013 via its Food and Agribusiness fund, Agri-Vie Fund I. The move marks the exit of the fund from its last investment after reaching the end of its life after 12 years. According to the investor, the return on the investment…

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Pick n Pay fosters healthy competition in SA’s retail market, scraps off exclusivity lease agreements

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SOUTH AFRICA – South African retail chain, Pick n Pay, has heed to the call of the Competition Commission of South Africa to cease use of exclusive lease agreements in all shopping centres where it has set base. The Competition Tribunal, the body which has the final say on anti-competition matters in the country, has confirmed that the retailer has signed an agreement with the Competition Commission to end the use of such restrictive terms. Under the agreement, supermarkets that are privately-owned and controlled by historically disadvantaged persons (HDP) can…

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Nestlé launches ‘Harvest Gourmet’ plant-based range for restaurants in South Africa

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SOUTH AFRICA – Nestlé Professional, the Nestlé arm committed to foodservice operations has introduced its plant-based range ‘Harvest Gourmet’ for restaurants in South Africa. According to the Swiss food manufacturing giant, the launch is a heed to the call of flexitarians who want to eat less meat but don’t want to feel like they are eating vegetables While South Africans continue to identify themselves largely as a meat loving nation, a significant proportion of people would like to eat less than they currently consume. And, almost half of those who…

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South Africa Breweries goes solo in promoting responsible drinking, industry stakeholders closely watch them

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SOUTH AFRICA – South African Breweries, the country’s largest beer producer has announced that it is seeking to explore new alcohol harm reduction strategies and in turn will be resigning from Aware.org. Aware.org is a non-profit organization (NPO) aimed to educate the public, organizations, and individuals about issues related to personal safety. Membership in such organizations is a prerequisite for trading licenses in the liquor industry for manufacturers, resellers, and traders. Aware.org describes itself as an organization that aims to mitigate alcohol-related harm through research, partner collaboration, stakeholder management, and…

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Agrifood tech investor AgVentures backs Matrix Software South African software provider to meat industry

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SOUTH AFRICA – AgVentures, Africa’s leading and dedicated agrifood tech investor, has made an undisclosed amount of investment in Matrix Software, a specialist software provider to the meat industry in Southern Africa. Matrix has more than 150 clients spanning from abattoirs, meat processors, wholesalers, and retailers. In addition to setting base in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria and Seychelles, the company also operates in Australia. AgVentures’ investment ideally positions Matrix to continue its rapid growth through the introduction of new functionalities to existing clients and expanding into adjacent…

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SA, Nigeria and Kenya driving e-commerce volumes, demand of essential and nutritious food products in Sub-Saharan Africa

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AFRICA – South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya have been identified as the top market contributors to e-commerce in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the last three years, with Ghana also showing growth, having replaced Kenya in the top three contributors in 2020. This is according to a recent white paper released by Visa titled ‘eCommerce developments across Sub Saharan Africa, indicating that although SSA may be one of the smallest regions of e-commerce globally, it shows steady growth potential. During the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the region saw new…

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