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INYATSI GROUP INVESTS E350 MILLION IN EMBIVENI MEATS UPGRADE

By NOMFANELO MAZIYA | 2024-06-27

Eswatini Meat Industries (Embiveni) in a bid to recapture its former glory has invested E350 million in upgrading the company’s infrastructure and processes aiming to capture the international market.

This was revealed by Inyatsi Group representative Dr. Thokozani Nkambule during the official opening of the company in Matsapha yesterday, which was graced by His Majesty King Mswati III.

The official opening comes a year after Inyatsi Group Holdings acquired Embiveni and transformed it into a powerhouse to be reckoned with, according to Dr. Nkambule.

He noted that subsequent to the acquisition, the Group invested E350 million in the transformation of the business and had managed to open three meat plazas in Matsapha, Nhlangano and Mbabane.

“Further, the Group has upgraded the factory to compete with those in first world countries,” said Dr. Nkambule.

He said aging processing equipment and declining output threatened the company's once-formidable reputation, hence the upgrade.

“The company has invested in state-of-the-art equipment, expanded its product range and penetrated international markets, including Taiwan, Norway, Mozambique and the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe,’ said Dr. Nkambule. He underscored that outside of the need for strategic foresight to regain its position as a leading meat producer, the Group aimed to also change the lives of farmers and all stakeholders involved in the value chain.

“If you have a plant, you find that the machinery does not work optimally after some time, affecting the plant’s outputs,” said Nkambule.

He noted that the out-dated machinery had been replaced with modern and efficient technology to ensure consistent quality production.

Dr. Nkambule also mentioned that the upgrades would further increase the company’s slaughter capacity.

“Embiveni can now slaughter significantly more cattle per week, jumping from less than 100 to 300 a week. This increased capacity positions the company to meet the demands of the export market,” said Nkambule.

He also noted that the machinery before the upgrade also hindered the quality of the meat causing dissatisfaction of international markets with the quality of Eswatini's meat.

Upgrades

“The upgrades at Embiveni aim to address this concern and unlock new export opportunities,” said Nkambule.

He added that being one of only three companies in the SADC region which qualify to export into the European Union, the Embiveni upgrade had returned the company to its former glory of premier meat processor. “We are committed to excellence and the plant has now reached first world status, heeding His Majesty King Mswati III’s call,” said Dr. Nkambule.

However, Dr. Nkambule acknowledged that the international meat market was open, highlighting a current hurdle of access to enough cattle to satisfy this market.

“We have difficulty accessing cattle, we encourage all Emaswati who wish to sell their cattle to come forward,’ said Dr. Nkambule.

He noted that indigenous farmers were prioritised by the company as it was actively seeking partnerships with Eswatini cattle farmers.

Dr. Nkambule encouraged farmers to sell their cattle to Embiveni, emphasising the potential for facilitation through the Embiveni Foundation.

“We have Embiveni Foundation, which offers training and knowledge sharing to our cattle farmers in a bid to ensure that their cattle meet the international standards,” said Nkambule. He said the foundation further enhanced farmer’s cattle in a bid to ensure that they meet scale targets and grow to slaughter age on time. Dr. Nkambule further stated that Embiveni was poised for continued growth.

“We will be expanding our market presence with the opening of additional shops in key towns in a bid to create jobs in those communities,” said Nkambule.

He also noted that currently Embiveni directly employed 350 people, impacting over 30 500 lives.

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