Illovo Sugar
Illovo Sugar is South Africa's third largest sugar producer and a diversified agri-processor wholly-owned by Associated British Foods plc. It cultivates sugarcane and manufactures raw, brown, refined sugar, and syrup for domestic consumers, industrial customers, and international export markets across six African countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1889
- HeadquartersDurban, South Africa
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Illovo Sugar does
Illovo Sugar (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd is a diversified agri-processing business and South Africa's third largest sugar producer, wholly-owned by UK-listed Associated British Foods plc and operating within its ABF Sugar division. The company's operations span six African countries, encompassing sugarcane cultivation alongside manufacturing of raw sugar, brown sugar, refined sugar, and syrup, supplied to both domestic South African markets and international export customers. Beyond core sugar production, Illovo co-generates electricity from renewable biomass resources at its sugar factories, which meets nearly all of its own power requirements and, in some locations, is exported commercially to national grids.
The business traces its origins to 1889 in KwaZulu-Natal through Reynolds Brothers Limited and was later reorganized under Sir Charles George Smith as CG Smith Sugar Limited; the predecessor CG Smith Group was listed on the JSE in 1992 and rebranded to Illovo Sugar Limited in 1994. The current private legal entity was established in 2010 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ABF. Revenue mechanics are anchored in B2B bulk sugar supply to industrial customers and B2C packaged sugar to consumers, with export sales as a third channel; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution relies on direct supply arrangements supported by in-house sales, operations planning, and logistics capabilities across the African footprint. Headcount exceeds 10,000 employees, and the company estimates its total economic impact across six countries of operation at R28.6 billion in FY2020/21.
Illovo Sugar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Illovo Sugar
- Legal name
- ILLOVO SUGAR (SOUTH AFRICA) (PTY) LTD
- Website
- https://illovosugar.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1889
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Illovo Sugar is South Africa's third largest sugar producer and a diversified agri-processor wholly-owned by Associated British Foods plc. It cultivates sugarcane and manufactures raw, brown, refined sugar, and syrup for domestic consumers, industrial customers, and international export markets across six African countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Illovo Sugar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sugar Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Cane Sugar Manufacturing (311314), Sugarcane Farming (11193), Sugar Manufacturing (31131)
- SIC
- Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cane Sugar (Raw & Refined) (AFAJAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sugarcane Farming (AFAGAEAA), Sugar & Sweeteners Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAB), Liquid Sugar & Invert Sugar (Liquid Sucrose, Invert Syrups) (AFAJAAAC)
Keywords
Where Illovo Sugar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durban
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Illovo Sugar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Illovo Sugar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Illovo Sugar is a diversified agri-processing business that cultivates sugarcane and manufactures raw, brown, and refined sugar, along with syrup, supplying both domestic South African and international export markets. The company also co-generates electricity from renewable biomass resources at its sugar factories, meeting nearly all of its own power needs and exporting surplus power to national grids in some operating countries on a commercial basis.
Product overview
Illovo Sugar South Africa operates as a diversified agri-processing business and is South Africa's third largest sugar producer. The company offers a unified portfolio of sugarcane-derived products including raw sugar, brown sugar, refined sugar, and syrup. These products are supplied to both domestic and international markets, serving consumers, customers, and stakeholders across the sugar value chain.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Raw Sugar
Companies that use Illovo Sugar
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Illovo Sugar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Illovo Sugar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Associated British Foods plc (ABF)coreAssociated British Foods plc is the ultimate parent company of Illovo Sugar (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd. Illovo Sugar Africa transitioned into ABF Sugar, which is the diversified sugar and sugar-derived products division of Associated British Foods plc. This is a wholly-owned subsidiary relationship where Illovo operates as part of ABF's diversified sugar business.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Illovo Sugar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Illovo Sugar social profiles
Digital presenceIllovo Sugar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Illovo Sugar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Illovo Sugar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Illovo Sugar 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 Illovo Sugar
What does Illovo Sugar do?
Illovo Sugar is a diversified agri-processing business that cultivates sugarcane and manufactures raw, brown, and refined sugar, along with syrup, supplying both domestic South African and international export markets. The company also co-generates electricity from renewable biomass resources at its sugar factories, meeting nearly all of its own power needs and exporting surplus power to national grids in some operating countries on a commercial basis.
Is Illovo Sugar a public or private company?
Illovo Sugar is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Illovo Sugar founded?
Illovo Sugar was founded in 1889. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Illovo Sugar based?
Illovo Sugar is headquartered in Durban, South Africa, in the Africa region.
Does Illovo Sugar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Illovo Sugar.
What industry is Illovo Sugar in?
Illovo Sugar's product category is Sugar Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAJAAAA, Cane Sugar (Raw & Refined), with a secondary code of AFAGAEAA, Sugarcane Farming. Its NAICS code is 311314 and its SIC code is 2060.