21 Mar 2025 Heineken Beverages and Soufflet Malt partner up
A new €100-million malt production facility will create jobs, support local barley farmers and strengthen South Africa’s brewing supply chain….
Soufflet Malt and Heineken Beverages have entered a commercial partnership in South Africa, with the latter set to supply malt used in Heineken’s South African operations.
As part of this agreement, Soufflet Malt will invest €100-million to build a new malting facility, strategically located next to Heineken’s Sedibeng Brewery near Johannesburg, and set to be operational by mid-2027.
It will be the most technologically advanced malthouse in South Africa and will produce 50% fewer emissions than the industry average, says the press release. This will involve using trigeneration and solar energy, while its location next to the brewery will enable malt to be transferred via conveyors, reducing both emissions and costs.
With a production capacity of nearly 100,000 tonnes, the facility will create 55 full-time jobs and support over 200 local barley growers. Soufflet Malt will source 100% of the barley locally.
To achieve this goal, Soufflet Malt has been working in the region for several years, building long term partnerships with both commercial and developing farmers. Through training, mentoring, and commercial support, Soufflet Malt is helping them adopt agronomic best practices to grow high-quality, premium barley.
“This significant investment by Soufflet Malt, in partnership with our company, marks a monumental commitment to South Africa and is a venture we are immensely proud to be part of,” said HEINEKEN Beverages MD, Jordi Borrut.
“Our company is deeply committed to the region, continuously enhancing our investment in the country. Our focus is on intensifying our support for local production, local sourcing, and job creation.
“This project is a clear testament to these objectives and aligns with our ‘Brew a Better World’ agenda, underpinned by sustainable practices and supporting the communities in which we operate,”
Said Jorge Solis, CEO of Soufflet Malt: “This partnership perfectly reflects Soufflet Malt’s ability as the world’s leading maltster to bring value by delivering agile and locally tailored solutions to long-standing global clients, such as Heineken.”
Soufflet Malt is the world’s leading maltster, with 41 malting plants across 20 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and America, and more than 2,300 employees.
Source: The Heineken Company