New €100m malt production facility will create jobs, support local barley farmers, and strengthen South Africa’s brewing supply chain.
Soufflet Malt and Heineken Beverages have entered a commercial partnership in South Africa, with Soufflet Malt set to supply malt used in Heineken’s South African operations. As part of this agreement, Soufflet Malt will invest €100m to build a new malting facility, strategically located next to Heineken’s Sedibeng Brewery near Johannesburg, and set to be operational by mid-2027.
The new facility will be the most technologically advanced malthouse in South Africa and will produce 50% fewer emissions than the industry average by using trigeneration and solar energy. Its location next to the brewery will enable malt to be transferred via conveyors, reducing both emissions and costs.
With a production capacity of nearly 100,000 tonnes, the facility will create 55 full-time jobs and support over 200 local South African barley growers. Soufflet Malt will source 100% of the barley locally. To achieve this goal, Soufflet Malt has been working in the region for several years, building long term partnerships with both commercial and developing farmers. Through training, mentoring, and commercial support, Soufflet Malt is helping them adopt agronomic best practices to grow high-quality, premium barley.
This new malting facility will play a key role in reaching both companies’ long-term sustainability goals, create local employment, and bolster Heineken’s supply chain in South Africa.
“This significant investment by Soufflet Malt, in partnership with our company, marks a monumental commitment to South Africa and is a venture we are immensely proud to be part of. Our company is deeply committed to the region, continuously enhancing our investment in the country. Our focus is on intensifying our support for local production, local sourcing, and job creation. This project is a clear testament to these objectives and aligns with our ‘Brew a Better World’ agenda, underpinned by sustainable practices and supporting the communities in which we operate,” said Heineken Beverages MD, Jordi Borrut.
“This partnership perfectly reflects Soufflet Malt’s ability as the world’s leading maltster to bring value by delivering agile and locally tailored solutions to long-standing global clients, such as Heineken. We are proud to be able to support Heineken Beverages deliver its ambitious vision for South Africa through our unique capabilities that seamlessly blend innovation in agronomy with global malting expertise and a locally-integrated supply chain” said Jorge Solis, CEO of Soufflet Malt.
“Our collaboration with Heineken Beverages marks an exciting chapter for Soufflet Malt to further strengthen the South African malt supply chain. We look forward to deepening our partnership with local farmers, fostering the development of sustainable barley farming across the country and contributing to the long-term prosperity of South Africa through this initiative”, added Guillaume Couture, president EMEA at Soufflet Malt.
About Heineken Beverages
Heineken Beverages is a South African drinks producer built on the legacy of three great companies – Heineken South Africa, Distell, and Namibia Breweries Limited. We are the company behind a host of iconic brands that include Heineken®, Savanna, Windhoek, Amarula, Nederburg, Klipdrift and many more. We pride ourselves in the diversity and commitment of our more than 5000 employees who are behind our success.
About Soufflet Malt
Soufflet Malt is the world’s leading maltster, with 41 malting plants across 20 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and America, and more than 2,300 employees. Soufflet Malt boasts a production capacity of 3.7 million tons of malt annually to meet the demands of its customers – large breweries and craft brewers, distillers and other industrial players – around the world. Building on its local farming roots and global reach, Soufflet Malt acts as a trusted supplier of quality malt, serving customers through household brands such as Cryer Malt, Barrett Burston, Scotgrain Agriculture, Tchecomalt, Castle Malting Group, Bairds Malt, Canada Malting Co. Ltd, Country Malt, Great Western Malting and Durst Malt. With a commitment to pioneering sustainable malt solutions, Soufflet Malt remains steadily focused on innovation across its entire value chain. Our vision: To unleash the power of malt. For more information: souffletmalt.com.
