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Savanna Beef plant readies for full operationalisation

• 16 Hours Ago

Savanna Beef plant readies for full operationalisation



Savanna Beef Processors intends to position itself to export beef products once its processing plant becomes fully operational, its CEO Ian Collard said in an interview with Market Watch.



It follows the slaughtering process to test the processing plant’s readiness, Collard said.



“If everything goes well, we will take over operations from the contractor at the mid of October and from there on onwards, we will be able to either supply Namibia or export to neighbouring countries, but the big fish to to hook in is to get to the European Union (EU) market, which will take at least another three months or more to get certification to go into that market,” Collard told Market Watch.



“The status is that we stopped slaughtering for about three weeks. The reason is that we would like to have the contractors do their job and finish all the loose ends, so the idea is that we will start with trial operations again, starting next week, which will be the last week in September.



Savanna Beef Processors now had the daunting task of proving its products were ready not only for the local market, but also for exports to the rest of Africa, as well as the United Kingdom and the EU, Collard explained.



“Well, there are quite a lot so with regards to the standard operating procedures, the Department of Veterinary Services would like to have clear guidelines on how we are going to operate and how we are going to ensure that we will always have full traceability on our product, along with that that we ensure a healthy environment for the exploitation of meat into other markets. The reason why they would like to have that is to ensure that our product is safe for consumption,” he said.



The facility, with a slaughter capacity of up to 250 cattle per day or 50 000 per annum, represents the largest producer-led investment in Namibia’s beef industry. Construction began in January 2024 and is expected to be completed by August/September 2025, Collard previously indicated.



The project’s financial structure combines N$200 million from approximately 730 producer shareholders, N$40 million from international investors, N$150 million in construction loans, and N$86 million in financial leasing. The main engineering, procurement, and construction contract amounts to N$352 million, with additional infrastructure bringing total capital costs to N$417.5 million.







Located on a 25 hectare site, the facility includes a commissioned power plant to ensure an uninterrupted electrical supply and a water treatment and reclamation plant nearing completion. Schneider emphasized that no effluent will leave the premises, with plans to assess the viability of a rendering plant once operations begin.