Pride Milling is one of South Africa’s largest players in the maize milling industry, with a footprint that spans not only the country’s provinces but also reaches beyond its borders into other African countries.

While the company has a rich history that goes back decades, Pride Milling began to flourish under the watchful eye of its CEO Jorrie Jordaan, who obtained a controlling share in the company in 2001.

As a seasoned professional, Jordaan’s expertise has been instrumental in transforming the company. In 2019, recognising the success of the company and its importance to national food security, Thebe Investment Corporation (TIC) purchased a 30% shareholding.

TIC acquired a further 40% shareholding in 2024. The initial goal was to provide the company with the necessary capital and support to expand its operations and ensure a smooth succession plan.

However, the increased shareholding also provides Pride Milling employees with a direct shareholding over a period of time, and increases supply opportunities for smallholder farmers.

Under Jordaan’s guidance, Pride Milling has diversified its product range beyond traditional maize milling.

“Our product offering includes grain products derived from genetically modified (GM) and GM-free white maize, GM and GM-free yellow maize, sorghum, popcorn, peanuts, pulses, legumes and animal feed, including hominy chop, bird feed and fowl feed. We also produce high-quality industrial maize products tailor-made to our clients’ specifications,” says Pride Milling.

The company’s entire offering is available for export.

Expansion

Pride Milling’s journey to becoming such a major player in the South African maize milling industry has been marked with significant achievements over the years.

In 2003, for example, Pride Milling acquired the Leslie Diverse Processing and Packaging Plant in Leslie, Mpumalanga. According to the company’s website, this allowed Pride Milling to produce and package feed for top-end retailers.

Then, in 2013, Pride Milling Devon was converted into an industrial maize mill, which allowed the company to produce high-quality industrial maize products that met the requirements of international clients.

In 2016, Pride Milling committed to doubling its capacity over a three-year period, which would further allow it to diversify its offerings. With TIC’s involvement in Pride Milling in 2019, the company achieved the significant milestone of receiving B-BBEE Level 1 classification in the same year.

Efficiency

Pride Milling has five storage and processing plants, three of which are located in Gauteng and the other two in Mpumalanga. The plants can process 750 000t of maize and other grain-based products per year.

Pride Milling’s mills are located near major maize-producing regions and markets. This, says Pride Milling, allows the company to improve production lead times, and ensures ease of distribution.

A team dedicated to raw material procurement has also been appointed to ensure adequate raw material is procured at competitive prices.

Maize and other grains are procured from farmers that are closest to the company’s mills. This allows Pride Milling to market its products at competitive prices.

Innovation

Innovation has been a driving force behind Pride Milling’s success.

The company has continuously invested in new technologies and processes to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance product quality.

For example, around R300 million has been invested into state-of-the-art equipment over the years. This equipment ensures consistent product quality and minimises waste.

Pride Milling is also committed to sustainable practices and corporate social responsibility.

It has implemented several initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint, conserve water and minimise waste.

It also supports local communities through various social development programmes, including education and skills training.

Visit pridemilling.co.za, and thebe.co.za.