Illovo Sugar Africa - Group Overview

We focus on supplying our diverse range of sugar products to the domestic markets in which we operate and to our regional neighbours, with high sea exports of bulk and speciality sugars to long standing international customers. Illovo also produces syrup, together with a range of downstream products including furfural and furfuryl alcohol, natural flavourants, high-quality ethyl alcohol and lactulose.

Through our own internal electricity generating capability, using bio-renewable boiler-feedstock such as the cane fibre residue post the extraction process, we aim to ensure reliable, cost-effective energy supply to all of our own operations and where economically viable, to export power into the national grids of the countries in which we operate.

We take enormous pride in our people employed across a range of disciplines in our six countries of operation, with the focus on values driven leadership, talent management, leadership growth and an active learning and development process underscored by the Group’s customised Engaged Performance Management Programme which tracks the professional growth and achievement of strategy-aligned personal objectives of every single employee. Our Group-wide safety programme under the brand name of “IllovoSafe”, and based on the premise of all employees returning home as they left it before going to work, is focussed on creating a safe working environment and is in alignment with the occupational health and safety legislation of our six countries of operation.

As a major private investor in Africa, we operate and market our products in countries which face considerable challenges in the form of poverty, unemployment, inequality and disease. The United Nations (UN) classifies Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania as among the world’s least developed countries. The Group has a significant positive impact on the rural communities in the areas where we operate, by creating valuable jobs and economic opportunities, and providing accommodation, health care, educational assistance and basic services to employees. In addition, where no such facilities exist, we provide medical care to communities, assist in education delivery, provide municipal and civic services and access to water and sanitation, and participate in community outreach programmes.

Our continuing ambition is to create an African sugar company that is anchored on delivering value to our customers and consumers, promoting sustainable agricultural and sound manufacturing processes mindful of our impacts on the environment and, through the collaborative efforts of our own people, resources and skills, supporting the needs and aspirations of our many communities and stakeholders through our Thriving African Community purpose.

We are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc (ABF), a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £15.8bn, 138 000 employees and operations in 52 countries across Europe, southern Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australia.