Over 100 years of growth
RFG Foods has a rich history dating back over 100 years and through organic growth, acquisitions and investment, the business has grown into a leading, diversified food producer serving multiple markets across all continents.
The acquisitions are shown in the calendar year in which they became effective and unconditional – some acquisitions were announced in one year but only became effective in the following year such as Pakco and Ma Baker.
Timeline
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2022
RFG acquires Frozen Foods business from Pioneer Foods.
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2018
RFG Foods completes a R1 billion capital investment programme over three years, with extensive production capacity expansion and upgrades to maintain a world-class manufacturing base.
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2017
The group completes its two largest acquisitions to date. Durban-based Pakco has a portfolio of strong and well-known brands including Bisto, Hinds and Southern Coating and enables the group to enter the dry packed foods market. Ma Baker, a leading pie producer in KwaZulu-Natal, strengthens the group’s position in the growing pie and pastry market.
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2016
Alibaba Foods, a Cape-based manufacturer of Halaal Eastern food, is acquired to provide increased exposure to the fast-growing snacking and convenience food categories.
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2015
Five acquisitions were completed in the first year after listing which facilitating the group’s successful entry into new categories – Pacmar, Boland Pulp, Deemster, Saint Pie, and the food service business of General Mills South Africa which extended the group’s offering into dry and frozen bakery products.
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2014
RFG Foods lists on the JSE on 2 October 2014. More than a century after its founding.
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2014
RFG Foods acquires Trout Hall®, a premium long-life fruit brand in the United Kingdom.
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2013
RFG Foods acquires the Bull Brand business from KAP Industrial Holdings. In addition to the iconic Bull Brand range, the acquisition included other well-known brands Gant’s and Spekenam.
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2012
A management led buy-out sees the Ivor Ferreira Trust sell RFG Foods in 2012. The new shareholding consortium comprises Capitalworks, Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners and management.
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2010
The Group acquires the Tulbagh based fruit canning operations of Del Monte. A state-of-the-art Ready Meals factory is built in Gauteng to produce fresh and frozen ready meals, including fresh pasta and sauces. The Group also acquires the Tulbagh based fruit canning operations of Del Monte.
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2008
RFG Foods acquires the Giants Canning vegetable cannery in Limpopo.
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2007
RFG Foods acquires Sunpie.
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2006
The Group installs a state-of-the-art packaging facility for fruit in plastic cups in its Eswatini operation, affording RFG Foods entry into the international fruit snacking market.
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2004
RFG Foods acquires Magpie Foods and the Magpie brand, expanding its offering into pies and pastries.
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1999
RFG Foods (Pty) Ltd. is formed. Anglo American Farms sells its food division, including the RFF canning operation and Wonderland Foods, to the Ivor Ferreira Trust. The Trust re-names the operation RFF Foods (Pty) Ltd., which was later changed to RFG Foods (Pty) Ltd.
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1993
Del Monte becomes the first fruit processor in South Africa to do both canning and aseptic fruit processing.
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1984
Zululand Fruit Producers buys Eswatini Fruit Canners.
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1983
Wonderland Foods is started in Caledon in the Western Cape, the company specialises in recipe-prepared meals. Many years later, Wonderland Foods forms an important part of the RFG Foods Ready Meals operations. The same year, Del Monte buys SAPCO, which can trace its roots to 1954.
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1977
Swazican (built in 1954) enjoys a strong export relationship with the USA until sanctions against South Africa are introduced in the 1980s. Swazican and Zululand Fruit Producers form close ties.
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1969
In 1969 Anglo American, De Beers and Rand Selection Corporation Ltd. become majority shareholders in Rhodes Fruit Farms and rename the business Anglo American Farms, also known as Amfarms
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1965
Calpak purchases the Tulbagh Fruit Industry and embarks on a major expansion drive. The new owners change its name to the South African Preserving Company or SAPCO.
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Late 1950s
Cyril Hurwitz, a butcher and farmer buys a canning factory at Krugersdorp and launches the now iconic Bull Brand offering. The company subsequently acquired the Spekenam and Gant’s brands.
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1958
Ward Gant opens Gant’s Food in Strand.
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1956
Ivor Ferreira buys Zululand Fruit Producers pineapple farm and canning factory and finds an export partner in the form of Peaty Mills Plc. in London.
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1954
Swazican Fruit Canners, processing pineapples and citrus, is built in Malkerns, Eswatini. In the same year a group of farmers form Tulbagh Fruit Industry Pty Ltd. Engineering firm H.G. Molenaar was instrumental in building the factory’s equipment and the company remains a key supplier of innovative packaging and production equipment to RFG Foods.
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1950
Rhodes Fruit Farms establishes the Ayrshire dairy herd. Today, it is one of the oldest and well-known stud herds in the country.
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1905
Rhodes Fruit Farms opens the first cannery in South Africa at Groot Drakenstein for the production of fruit and jam.
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1896
Rhodes Fruit Farms Ltd. established.