Creating Value For All Stakeholders
Tongaat Hulett is an agriculture and agri-processing business, focusing on the complementary feedstocks of sugarcane and maize. Through its sugar and starch operations, Tongaat Hulett produces a range of refined carbohydrate products from sugarcane and maize, with many products being interchangeable. Global sweetener markets continue to be dynamic and the business seeks to optimise its various market positions, leveraging off its current base to maximise revenue from these products. The business's sugar operations are well placed to benefit from evolving dynamics of renewable electricity and ethanol in the SADC region. Its ongoing activities in agriculture have resulted in the company having a substantial land portfolio within the primary growth corridors of KwaZulu-Natal with strong policy support for conversion at the appropriate time. A core element of Tongaat Hulett's strategic vision is to maximise the value generated from the conversion of land in the portfolio by responding to key demand drivers, identifying its optimal end use for all stakeholders and the investment in developing the land platform, which underpins the pipeline of shovelready land. Value creation for all stakeholders through an all-inclusive approach to growth and development is a key focus area and Tongaat Hulett regards its constructive interfaces with governments and society to be significant.
Tongaat Hulett has seen the benefit of partnering with key stakeholders with the objective of achieving outcomes that represent a "win all". In so doing, these relationships contribute towards the achievement of the business's strategic objectives, while also meeting the objectives of its various stakeholders, including shareholders, governments, private farmers and their representative bodies, communities, employees and people impacted by the company's operations and its development activities. Tongaat Hulett's approach to working with its key stakeholders continues to support its objective of being considered as a developmental partner of choice by governments in the SADC regions, in their journey to further growing their agricultural sectors.
South Africa
The company's South African sugar operations on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast and in the Zululand region operate four sugar mills at Maidstone, Darnall, Amatikulu and Felixton. These mills have an installed capacity to produce more than 1 million tons of sugar per annum. Cane supplies come from a combination of predominately rain-fed own-estates, large-scale commercial and small-scale private farmers in rural KwaZulu-Natal. The operation's central refinery in Durban produces some 600 000 tons of high-quality refined sugar per annum, with the primary product being the leading Huletts® brand. The South African sugar product range offers a total sweetener solution including a range of high-intensity sweeteners.
Zimbabwe
The sugar operations in Zimbabwe consist of Triangle and a 50,3 percent stake in Hippo Valley Estates, representing a combined installed sugar milling capacity of more than 640 000 tons. The total of the installed refined sugar capacity is 60 000 tons and the Triangle ethanol plant has an installed capacity of 41 million litres over a 48-week production season. The Huletts Sunsweet® brand is the leading sugar brand in the country.
Mozambique
Sugar operations comprise the expanded sugar mills and estates surrounding Xinavane and Mafambisse. The two operations have a combined installed milling capacity in excess of 340 000 tons of sugar per annum. The favourable agricultural conditions, proximity to ports, and the technical support from South Africa, position the Mozambique operations well for further growth.
Swaziland
Tongaat Hulett's Tambankulu sugarcane estate in Swaziland has consistently achieved excellent sucrose yields due to the good soil and growing conditions in the region and delivers its cane to the nearby Simunye and Mhlume sugar mills. The estates have the capacity to produce a Raw Sugar Equivalent (RSE) of 60 000 tons per annum.