Soufflet Group division begins construction of new malting plant in South Africa

Soufflet Malt, a division of the French agro-industrial group Soufflet Group, one of the world’s largest producers of malt for the brewing industry, has begun construction of a malting plant in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The project is worth €100 million, the company said in a statement on February 5, 2026.

In March 2025, Soufflet Malt and HEINEKEN Beverages signed a commercial partnership agreement under which the French company will supply malt to Heineken’s breweries in South Africa.

The new malting plant will be located next to HEINEKEN Beverages’ Sedibeng brewery near Johannesburg. Its annual capacity will be around 100,000 tonnes of malt. Once fully operational, the plant will be 100% locally sourced barley.

The facility will be built by Abbeydale Projects during 2026, with commissioning scheduled for mid-2027.

Soufflet Malt said the new facility will be the most technologically advanced malting facility in South Africa and will deliver 50% lower CO₂ emissions than the industry average through the use of trigeneration. The location next to the brewery will allow for the transport of malt by conveyors, reducing emissions and operating costs.

“This project is a strong signal of confidence in South Africa’s agricultural sector and will strengthen the country’s brewing value chain. By investing in local production capacity and working closely with farmers, we are creating a sustainable, locally integrated malt supply chain that will contribute to the long-term development of the region,” said Soufflet Malt CEO Jorge Solis.

Tags: South Africa, malting, Soufflet