Anchored by a rich culinary heritage and strategic access to premium local ingredients, Cape Town boasts a rich community of food artisans and industry leaders. Whether you’re a food lover eager to explore local flavours or an investor seeking exciting opportunities, Cape Town’s food and beverage industry offers a compelling mix of tradition, innovation, and economic potential.
Cape Town’s food and beverage sector is a thriving hub within South Africa’s manufacturing landscape. The food and beverage sector contributes 3.6% of Cape Town’s gross value add and 4.1% of its formal employment. Additionally, beverage exports from Cape Town grew by 21% between 2015 and 2016, with fish exports increasing by 22.7%. In 2022, The City of Cape Town, in collaboration with the Western Cape Economic Development Partnership and industry partners, established the Food & Beverage Growth Coalition. This initiative was established in an effort to address the challenges faced by the food and beverage industry, including rising costs and the need for food security.
This collaboration between government and business leaders also addresses challenges and unlocks opportunities within the food and beverage industry. Through regular structured interactions and focused working groups, the coalition aims to facilitate reforms, support skills development, enhance trade, and address issues such as environmental and social impact, and health and nutrition.
Key Industry Indicators (2022):
A Diverse Menu: Major Companies
Cape Town’s food and beverage industry is a melting pot of flavours and expertise.
Some of the companies making their mark:
- Fish Products: I&J, Oceana, Sea Harvest
- Beverages: Quality Beverages, Pioneer Group, Twizza, Peninsula Beverages, South African Breweries, Good Hope International Beverages
- Craft Beer: Devil’s Peak Brewery, Jack Black, Distell
- Spices and Saucing: Freddie Hirsch, Ina Paarman, Zemcor, Exim, Mediterranean Foods, Natural Herbs and Spices, Spice Mecca, Crown Food Group
- Grain Mill Products: Bokomo, Pioneer, Tiger Brands, Sasko Grain
- Dairy Products: Fair Cape Dairies, Lausanne Dairies, Oakland Milk
- Food Products: BM Foods Manufacturers, Rhodes Food Group Holdings Ltd, Afrifresh, Cape Oil Products
- Major Retailers: Pick n Pay, Checkers, Woolworths, Food Lover’s Market
Competitive Advantages
The following represent Cape Town’s distinct advantages in the Food & Beverages industry:
- access to the country’s richest stocks of fish, particularly hake;
- established history with some of the nation’s largest firms in the sector;
- proximity to a vast agricultural hinterland yielding distinctive produce;
- logistical advantages with easy access to an international port;
- rapidly growing consumer population in Cape Town and surrounding regions;
- hub for artisanal food and beverage development, including craft beer, filter coffee and
- geographical indicator status for Rooibos, honeybush, Karoo lamb, and the infusion of fynbos into beverages, resulting in distinguished products.
Contact us to learn more about these exciting opportunities.
