
Africa’s economic reset requires moving from ambition to execution
The Africa Commerce Convergence Summit keynote address identified four elements that must converge if the continent is to achieve a meaningful economic reset.
BUSINESS STRATEGY
By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2026
Company says upgrade of Paarl facility reinforces its commitment to economic development, localisation, supply security and affordability.
South Africa’s Tiger Brands has taken a step forward in its strategy to localise manufacturing capability and bring manufacturing in-house where possible.
The FMCG giant this week unveiled a US$11.2-million (R200-million) upgrade of its manufacturing facility in Paarl, about 60 kilometres northeast of Cape Town in the country’s Western Cape province.
Photo: Tiger Brands
Originally established in 1903, it has been transformed into a state-of-the-art mega-site with three dedicated production plants.
According to Tiger Brands, the three distinct culinary production capabilities will deliver meaningful improvements in supply security, cost efficiency and product quality.
The first major development is a dedicated vinegar production plant with a production capacity of three million litres per annum. Vinegar is a critical input for several key Tiger Brands products – including Mrs Ball’s Chutney, All Gold Tomato Sauce and Crosse & Blackwell Mayonnaise.
Eliminates complete dependency on external sources
Comments Tiger Brands: “The new plant secures a significant portion of the internal supply for these brands, eliminating complete dependency on external sources and ensuring stable production.”
The second major development is the commissioning of Mrs Ball’s Chutney production at the Paarl facility, with three production lines installed. Previously produced by a third party, bringing production of the iconic South African brand under Tiger Brands’ roof for the first time strengthens quality assurance and supply security of the popular condiment.
The third development is the transition of jam packaging from cans to recyclable PET (polyethylene terephthalate) containers. Tiger Brands claims to be the first in South Africa to make this transition in the jam category, noting that PET packaging offers convenience, is lighter and more consumer-friendly, while maintaining product integrity and taste.
Says Dumo Mfini, MD of Culinary at Tiger Brands: “The transformation of our Paarl facility reflects our efforts to invest in manufacturing capability that enable us to better serve our consumers.
“By bringing Mrs Ball’s in-house, by securing our vinegar supply, and by improving our packaging, we are focused on driving growth and better meeting consumer needs with convenient packaging solutions.
“This reinforces our commitment to driving economic development, localisation, supply security and affordability of some of the country’s most beloved food brands.”

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Vongani Mageza brings more than 20 years’ experience across financial services and FMCG) companies such as FNB and Diageo.

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