Illovo Sugar Africa (Pty) Ltd is a Pan-African consumer centric agri-business with roots in growing and making sugar and related products. It is Africa’s largest sugar producer and has extensive agricultural operations in six southern African countries – eSwatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. Sugar and downstream products are manufactured from cane supplied by its own agricultural operations and independent growers. The group is a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc (ABF), a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group operating in more than 50 countries.

ILLOVO SUGAR (SOUTH AFRICA)
Illovo Sugar (South Africa) (Illovo SA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Illovo Group, with its operations including the cultivation of sugar cane and production of raw, brown, and refined sugar, syrup, together with the downstream products of furfural and its derivatives, ethyl alcohol and lactulose.

Illovo’s first presence was recognised in KwaZulu-Natal in 1891. Illovo SA today is an invested, long-term contributor to South Africa’s economy, committed to partnering for the continuing transformation of its agricultural and sugar production sectors.

The company annually produces more than 550 000 tons of raw and refined sugar from 4.8 million tons of sugar cane cultivated by independent growers, together with a small tonnage of cane produced by Illovo’s own agricultural operations. Land holdings in South Africa have been strategically reduced from the mid-90s to make way for the growth and development of Black smallholder cane growers within Illovo SA’s cane supply areas.

Illovo SA sugar markets are largely domestic, with sales into the world raw sugar market. Downstream products are primarily export focused. The company also operates a state of-the-art sugar warehouse and distribution centre providing a strategic link between its sugar factories in KwaZulu-Natal and its nationally based customers. There are six sugar producers in South Africa with combined production of under two million tons.

Technology
While using technology to connect with Illovo SA’s grower base has been one of the biggest growth areas over the past ten years, it accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic. A significant shift in the ‘ways of work’ has been a move from the in-person interactions to more consistently online or digital forms of communication. Many growers have missed the physical conversation and face-to- face engagement. However, the good news is that Illovo has been able to fast track the adoption of digitalisation and technology amongst its grower base, which would possibly have taken longer had the global pandemic not occurred.

Shared Value
Illovo SA prides itself on its positive contributory role in the sugar industry creating meaningful rural employment opportunities in KwaZulu Natal. Illovo SA has been instrumental in creating sustainable formal employment opportunities; as well as creating platforms to support and enable businesses in the cane growing community in rural KwaZulu-Natal. The business is playing its part in building rural economies and entrepreneurs.

Faced by limited opportunities in remote, rural areas, cane cultivation alongside nearby sugar mills offers private farmers the prospect of creating sustainable livelihoods for themselves and employment for others. Illovo SA prioritise new cane developments through inclusive growth models and shared value in its supply chain to bring mutual benefit to both business and society.

Partnering with local farmers, transporters, contractors and other small, medium and micro-sized enterprises in the supply chain brings about multiplied socio-economic benefits to the communities in which the company operates.

CSI initiatives
Illovo SA aims to build thriving communities within the communities in which it operates through various CSI initiatives. The group lives its shared value mandate to foster thriving South African communities and key to its success is in the continued efforts in partnering with government, engaging with stakeholders, communities, and consumers to understand societal challenges. Illovo SA is committed to creating an environment in which both its business and the communities that host its operations thrive through its presence and the operations there. They actively engage with local and regional leaders to identify and implement CSI projects that address select vulnerabilities within the communities.