Lake Harvest
Lake Harvest is a privately-held integrated tilapia aquaculture group operating fish farms on Lake Kariba and Lake Victoria, with owned cold-chain distribution across six African countries serving supermarkets, retail outlets, and D2C customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersHarare, Zimbabwe
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Lake Harvest does
Lake Harvest, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Harare, Zimbabwe, is a privately-held integrated aquaculture operator and part of the African Century Foods Group. It breeds and farms Nile tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus, marketed as Kariba Bream) in floating cages on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe and Zambia, and on Lake Victoria in Uganda through its Source of the Nile subsidiary. The group operates a vertically integrated stack: a hatchery producing 2.5 million eggs per week, a 30,000-tonne-capacity feed mill in Zambia operated as a joint venture with Nutreco/Skretting, processing plants, and owned distribution businesses in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, and South Africa, with exports to Botswana, Mozambique, DRC, Tanzania, and Rwanda.
Its core revenue engine is fresh and frozen tilapia products — whole gutted fish in 100–300g, 300–600g, and 600g+ weight classes, plus skin-on and skin-off fillets — sold wholesale at ~$23 per 5kg unit and through its own cold-chain fleet to supermarket chains including Pick'N'Pay, OK/Bon Marche, and Foods Lovers Market. The group also runs a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop and an increasingly diversified third-party distribution franchise (Surrey Group chicken products in Zimbabwe, Dendairy dairy in Zambia, plus Kapenta, Mackerel, and Crocodile meat), repositioning the retail outlets as broader protein centres rather than single-category fishmongers.
The business model combines B2C retail across roughly 38 outlets, B2B supply to major supermarket chains, D2C e-commerce, and distribution-franchise fees from complementary protein brands, all under a vertically integrated aquaculture cost base that targets quality and traceability rather than purely volume. With ~793 employees, a graduate trainee programme delivering 80% managerial retention, and stated production capacity of up to 9,000 tonnes per annum in Zimbabwe alone, Lake Harvest sits as one of the largest integrated tilapia operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
Lake Harvest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lake Harvest
- Legal name
- Lake Harvest
- Website
- https://lakeharvest.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Lake Harvest is a privately-held integrated tilapia aquaculture group operating fish farms on Lake Kariba and Lake Victoria, with owned cold-chain distribution across six African countries serving supermarkets, retail outlets, and D2C customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lake Harvest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aquaculture / Seafood Production
- NAICS
- Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511), Aquaculture (1125)
- SIC
- Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Finfish Farming (e.g., salmon, tilapia, catfish) (AFAEAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Aquaculture Processing & On-Farm Value-Add (primary handling, icing, packing) (AFAEAAAN), Aquaculture Harvest, Processing & Packing (Farmed Finfish/Shellfish; On-Farm Plants) (AFANADAL), Tilapia & Warmwater Fish Hatcheries (e.g., Catfish, Carp) (AFAEAKAE)
Keywords
Where Lake Harvest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Harare
- HQ country
- Zimbabwe
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices6 records
Markets served
Lake Harvest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fresh and Frozen Fish Products: Primary revenue from selling fresh and frozen tilapia and bream products including whole gutted fish, skin on/off fillets, and other value-added products through own distribution channels and retail partnerships.
- Third-Party Product Distribution: Distribution of third-party food proteins and products including Surrey Group chicken products, Dendairy products, mackerel, sardines, and other fish products through their extensive retail network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Whole Gutted Bream Products |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Lake Harvest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lake Harvest is one of the largest integrated tilapia aquaculture operations in Africa, breeding its own fingerlings from indigenous African fish, growing fish in floating cages on Lake Kariba and Lake Victoria, processing them in owned plants, and distributing fresh and frozen fish products through its own cold chain network across sub-Saharan Africa. Operations span fish farming in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Uganda, a feed mill joint venture in Zambia, processing facilities, and owned distribution companies with retail outlets in multiple countries.
Product overview
Lake Harvest is an integrated aquaculture company operating across Sub-Saharan Africa, comprising fish farming operations in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Uganda, along with processing facilities and owned distribution networks. The product portfolio centers on sustainably farmed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus), branded as Kariba Bream, offered as fresh whole round, fresh/frozen gutted fish (in 100-300g, 300-600g, and 600+ gram sizes), and skin-on/skin-off fillets. The company also distributes complementary products including Kapenta, Mackerel, Sardines, and Crocodile meat through its e-commerce platform, while offering third-party products via distribution partnerships (Surrey Group chicken products in Zimbabwe, Dendairy dairy franchise in Zambia). Distribution is managed through company-owned cold chain networks across Zimbabwe (LHD with six retail outlets), Zambia (LKHCL with 26 outlets), and Kenya (LHK with three outlets), supplemented by retail presence in Malawi, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, DRC, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. Lake Harvest is part of the African Century Foods Group.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kariba Bream: Product brand name for Lake Harvest's sustainably farmed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus), also known as Bream.
Products and services
- Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus)
- Kariba Bream
- Whole Gutted Fish
- Tilapia Fillets (Skin-On and Skin-Off)
- Kapenta
- Mackerel
- Crocodile Meat (Croc)
Quantifiable outcome
- Harvest volumes capacity of 9,000T per annum in Zimbabwe operations
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Lake Harvest
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Lake Harvest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Lake Harvest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Skretting ZambiacoreJoint venture feed mill partnership with Nutreco (Skretting) in Siavonga, Zambia. Commissioned June 2017 with feed capacity of 30,000T. Provides feed for Kariba Harvest Limited fish farm operations.
- Surrey GroupminorPartnership formed in 2017 where Lake Harvest Distribution (LHD) retails Surrey Group chicken and other frozen products to become a more rounded protein retail centre.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lake Harvest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Regal Springs: Regal Springs is one of the world's largest fully integrated tilapia producers, operating cage farms in Honduras, Mexico, and Indonesia and exporting globally under premium brands. It is the global incumbent benchmark for vertically integrated, branded tilapia at scale, comparable to Lake Harvest's model and aspirations.
- Genomar: Genomar is a leading global tilapia genetics and aquaculture company (parent of AquaGen and GenoMar Genetics) supplying improved tilapia strains worldwide. It is comparable to Lake Harvest on the breeding/hatchery layer where Lake Harvest operates its own indigenous fingerling program.
Regional players
- Trofish: Trofish is a Zambian aquaculture and fisheries operator focused on capture and farmed fish supply in Southern Africa. It overlaps with Lake Harvest on fish protein supply across Zambian and neighboring markets, though it is more weighted to capture fisheries than full cage integration.
Direct peers
- Victory Farms: Victory Farms operates one of the largest tilapia operations in East Africa, farming tilapia on Lake Victoria and distributing through cold-chain to retailers in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania. It directly competes with Lake Harvest in East African tilapia supply and supermarket channels.
- Chicoa Fish Farm: Chicoa Fish Farm is a Mozambique-based tilapia aquaculture operation on Lake Cahora Bassa that grows, processes, and distributes tilapia across Southern Africa. It is also backed by Aqua-Spark's Africa fund, making it a direct competitor to Lake Harvest across overlapping African tilapia markets.
- Yalelo: Yalelo is a vertically integrated tilapia producer on Lake Kariba in Zambia that breeds, grows, processes, and distributes tilapia under its own brand across Zambia and the region. It competes directly with Lake Harvest's Kariba Harvest operations in Zambia and in shared regional retail channels.
Emerging players
- Aquarech: Aquarech is a Kenya-based aquaculture platform supporting smallholder fish farmers with feed, training, and market access. It is also backed by Aqua-Spark's Africa fund and overlaps with Lake Harvest's broader African aquaculture growth thesis, though it operates via smallholder model rather than fully owned cage farms.
Others
- African Century Foods Group: African Century Foods Group is the parent company of Lake Harvest, with investments across African food and protein businesses. As the group-level platform, it is the natural reference point for portfolio synergies, capital allocation, and strategic direction affecting Lake Harvest.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lake Harvest social profiles
Digital presenceLake Harvest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lake Harvest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Lake Harvest subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Lake Harvest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lake Harvest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lake Harvest
What does Lake Harvest do?
Lake Harvest is one of the largest integrated tilapia aquaculture operations in Africa, breeding its own fingerlings from indigenous African fish, growing fish in floating cages on Lake Kariba and Lake Victoria, processing them in owned plants, and distributing fresh and frozen fish products through its own cold chain network across sub-Saharan Africa. Operations span fish farming in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Uganda, a feed mill joint venture in Zambia, processing facilities, and owned distribution companies with retail outlets in multiple countries.
Is Lake Harvest a public or private company?
Lake Harvest is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Lake Harvest founded?
Lake Harvest was founded in 1997. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Lake Harvest based?
Lake Harvest is headquartered in Harare, Zimbabwe, in the Africa region.
How does Lake Harvest make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fresh and Frozen Fish Products are the primary driver. The others are third-Party Product Distribution.
Who are Lake Harvest's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Regal Springs and Genomar. Trofish is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Victory Farms, Chicoa Fish Farm and Yalelo. Aquarech is listed as an emerging player. African Century Foods Group is listed as an others.
Does Lake Harvest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lake Harvest.
What industry is Lake Harvest in?
Lake Harvest's product category is Aquaculture / Seafood Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAAAA, Finfish Farming (e.g., salmon, tilapia, catfish), with a secondary code of AFAEAAAN, Aquaculture Processing & On-Farm Value-Add (primary handling, icing, packing). Its NAICS code is 112511 and its SIC code is 200.