VKB
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
VKB firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VKB
- Legal name
- VKB Landbou (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://vkb.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VKB industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Services
- NAICS
- Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224), Food Manufacturing (311), Grain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers (424510), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Starches, Flours & Milling Products Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- NPK/Compound & Blended Fertilizers (Granular Blends, Bulk Blending) (AFABABAD), Seed & Trait Distribution (Dealer Networks) (AFABAJAD), Livestock & Pasture Supply Retail (Feed Supplements, Animal Health Inputs) (AFABAJAJ)
Keywords
Where VKB is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices9 records
Markets served
VKB business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Agricultural Inputs and Retail: Sale of agricultural inputs including fertilizer, chemicals, seed, fuel, medication for livestock, animal feed, irrigation equipment, steel, fencing, building material, and general hardware through 58 retail outlets.
- Agricultural Financing: VKB Landbou is an Authorised Credit Provider providing production loans, monthly invoices, financing for implements and whole goods, and contract growth financing to commercial and emerging farmers.
- Grain Marketing and Silos: Grain marketing services including fixed-price contracts, floor price contracts, minimum/maximum contracts, deferred price contracts, and SAFEX futures exchange brokering. Also operates 21 silos with 1.1 million tons storage capacity.
- Insurance Broking: VKB Brokers provides agricultural insurance, crop insurance (hail damage, multirisk), livestock insurance, personal insurance, and commercial insurance as an authorised Financial Services Supplier (FSP 46921).
- Chicken Production and Processing: Grain Field Chickens operates a state-of-the-art poultry farm and abattoir producing fresh and healthy chicken products, integrated with feed supply from QPro Feeds.
- Animal Feed Manufacturing: QPro Feeds produces approximately 23,000 tons of animal feed per month across two plants (Bethlehem: 8,000 tons/month, Vrede: 15,000 tons/month) including dairy, cattle, sheep, game, layer, and broiler feeds.
- Soybean Processing: Free State Oil processes soybeans with capacity of 150,000 tons per year, producing soybean meal and oil for home mixers, stock feed producers, and feed companies within VKB Group.
- Flour and Maize Milling: Farm Foods operates seven production plants nationwide producing flour (300,000 tons/year capacity), maize meal (425,000 tons/year capacity), pasta, noodles, and premixes under brands Magnifisan, Top White, and Super-Sure.
- Fuel Sales: VKB Fuels operates fuel stations with convenience shops (VKB Express), delivering fuel to producers' farms in addition to retail fuel sales.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
VKB product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VKB Group is a producer-owned agricultural enterprise that supplies agricultural inputs (fertilizer, seed, chemicals, fuel, machinery, irrigation equipment) through 58 retail outlets to commercial and emerging farmers. It provides agricultural financing as an NCRCP7984 authorized credit provider, insurance brokerage (FSP 46921), grain marketing with SAFEX brokering, and grain storage across 21 silos with 1.1 million tons capacity. The Group also manufactures and processes animal feed (QPro Feeds at 23,000 tons/month), soybean meal and oil (Free State Oil at 150,000 tons/year), flour and maize meal (Farm Foods at 300,000 and 425,000 tons/year), and chicken products (Grain Field Chickens), distributing through VKB Foods retail stores under Magnifisan, Top White and Super-Sure brands.
Product overview
VKB is an agricultural enterprise with a diversified portfolio spanning three main divisions: Agriculture (VKB Landbou), Grain Operations, and Agri Processors. The Agriculture division provides comprehensive services including financing, input trade, mechanization, irrigation, retail (58 outlets), and agricultural development for farmers. The Grain division handles marketing and storage (1.1 million tons capacity across 21 silos). Agri Processors includes milling (Farm Foods), chicken processing (Grain Field Chickens), animal feeds (QPro Feeds), and soybean crushing (Free State Oil). Subsidiaries include Crown Bag (packaging), VKB Foods (retail), VKB Fuels (fuel stations), Bethal Koelkamers (cold storage), Multi Green (fertilizer), Farmpack (packaging), AE Solutions (laboratory equipment), and VKB Brokers (insurance). The company also offers an online learning platform (Producers Online Academy) and software distribution (Simfini, Akkoord). The Group employs approximately 7,500 people across 29 entities, with regional brands VKB, NTK, and GWK operating across South Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- VKB Agriculture
- VKB Financing
- Input Trade
- VKB Irrigation
Quantifiable outcome
- 3% of net profit after tax contributed annually to developing farmers, qualifying as Level 1 BEE contributor
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use VKB
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
VKB technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
VKB partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic investment, key partnership for asparagus market access, technology partnership, training partner, merger in progress and regional brand partner.
- BKB Limitedstrategic investmentVKB Beleggings obtained a 21% shareholding in BKB Limited during August 2019, representing a strategic investment in the agricultural sector.
- Denmarkey partnership for asparagus market accessPartnership formed between asparagus-producing cooperatives and Denmar to access major retail groups (Pick n Pay, Checkers, Spar, Fruit&Veg) and export markets under the Denbi brand. Denmar's packaging and distribution network provided emerging farmers access to markets they could not reach independently.
- Software Farmtechnology partnershipVKB Management Bureau acts as dealer for Software Farm products including Simfini financial record-keeping and Akkoord HR management software, providing installation, support, and training services.
- AfriKloktechnology partnershipVKB Management Bureau acts as dealer for AfriKlok agricultural software products, providing installation, support, and training services.
- ITO Batho Peletraining partnerLeading training institution for Agri-Seta accredited farm management programmes. Since 2008, VKB enrolled 236 developing farmers in these programmes.
- GWKmerger in progressVKB and GWK are in merger process, representing regional agricultural consolidation. GWK represents Northern, Eastern and Western Cape regions.
- NTKregional brand partnerNTK operates as regional brand in Limpopo region and Mpumalanga (North of N4), distributing VKB agricultural products and services.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
VKB competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NWK Limited: North West-based agricultural cooperative offering grain storage, financing, retail, and processing services. Comparable to VKB's VKB Landbou division as a regional cooperative peer with similar ownership and service mix.
- GWK Limited: Northern, Eastern and Western Cape agricultural group that is the merger counterpart to VKB; operates grain handling, agri-inputs, milling, and food brands, making it the most directly comparable peer pre-merger close.
- Afgri Group Holdings: One of South Africa's largest agribusinesses, providing grain storage, milling, retail agri-inputs, financing, and equipment — directly comparable to VKB's integrated agricultural value chain across Free State and broader South Africa.
- Astral Foods: South African integrated poultry producer (broilers and feed) listed on the JSE. Direct comparable to VKB's Grain Field Chickens and QPro Feeds poultry value chain.
- Rainbow Chicken (RCL Foods): Major South African poultry processor and feed manufacturer within RCL Foods; comparable to VKB's vertically integrated chicken and animal feed operations.
- BKB Limited: South African agricultural group focused on wool, livestock, and agri-services, in which VKB Beleggings holds a 21% stake. Comparable as an integrated agricultural services peer with similar South African rural footprint.
- Suidwes Holdings: Free State/North West agricultural cooperative providing grain handling, financing, retail, and processing services. Closely comparable to VKB's operations in the Free State grain belt.
- Senwes: Major South African agricultural cooperative with grain handling, silo infrastructure, financing, and farm-input retail. Operates in overlapping grain-producing regions and is the closest cooperative model peer to VKB.
Broad incumbents
- Tiger Brands: Major JSE-listed South African food manufacturer with milling, baking, and grocery brands. Adjacent incumbent comparable to VKB's branded maize meal, flour, and consumer food products under Magnifisan, Top White, and Super-Sure.
- Tongaat Hulett: Large South African agribusiness with starch, sweetener, and oilseed processing operations. Broader incumbent comparable on the milling and starch/oilside processing side of VKB's Farm Foods and Free State Oil businesses.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VKB social profiles
Digital presenceVKB compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
VKB financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VKB leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
VKB subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries13 records
VKB funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VKB 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 VKB
What does VKB do?
VKB Group is a producer-owned agricultural enterprise that supplies agricultural inputs (fertilizer, seed, chemicals, fuel, machinery, irrigation equipment) through 58 retail outlets to commercial and emerging farmers. It provides agricultural financing as an NCRCP7984 authorized credit provider, insurance brokerage (FSP 46921), grain marketing with SAFEX brokering, and grain storage across 21 silos with 1.1 million tons capacity. The Group also manufactures and processes animal feed (QPro Feeds at 23,000 tons/month), soybean meal and oil (Free State Oil at 150,000 tons/year), flour and maize meal (Farm Foods at 300,000 and 425,000 tons/year), and chicken products (Grain Field Chickens), distributing through VKB Foods retail stores under Magnifisan, Top White and Super-Sure brands.
Is VKB a public or private company?
VKB is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was VKB founded?
VKB was founded in 1919. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is VKB based?
VKB is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does VKB make money?
Nine revenue lines are on record. Agricultural Inputs and Retail is the primary driver. The others are agricultural Financing, grain Marketing and Silos, insurance Broking, chicken Production and Processing, animal Feed Manufacturing, soybean Processing, flour and Maize Milling and fuel Sales.
Who are VKB's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NWK Limited, GWK Limited, Afgri Group Holdings, Astral Foods, Rainbow Chicken (RCL Foods), BKB Limited, Suidwes Holdings and Senwes. Broad incumbents are Tiger Brands and Tongaat Hulett.
Does VKB have an API?
No public API is recorded for VKB.
What industry is VKB in?
VKB's product category is Agricultural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIAKAH, Starches, Flours & Milling Products Trading/Wholesale, with a secondary code of AFABABAD, NPK/Compound & Blended Fertilizers (Granular Blends, Bulk Blending). Its NAICS code is 311224 and its SIC code is 700.