Zambia Sugar Plc

What Zambia Sugar Plc does

Zambia Sugar Plc is referenced in the query, but the source material supplied pertains to Illovo Sugar (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, a sister-entity within the same ABF Sugar division of Associated British Foods plc. Based on the available data, the underlying business is a diversified African agri-processing operation engaged in sugarcane cultivation and the production of raw sugar, brown sugar, refined sugar, and syrup. The group is among South Africa's largest sugar producers (third-largest by volume) and operates across six African countries, with Zambia among the countries of operation. Co-generation of electricity from renewable resources at sugar factories supplies nearly all internal power requirements and, in some locations, exports surplus power to national grids on a commercial basis.

Revenue mechanics derive from sale of sugar and sugar-related products to both domestic and international markets. The business operates a horizontal segmentation model, supplying bulk commodity sugar as well as value-added downstream products. Distribution is supported by what the company describes as a world-class logistics team with deep route-to-market insights across Africa. No pricing model, customer-level pricing, or revenue figures are disclosed in the source material.

The entity is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc (ABF), operating within ABF Sugar, ABF's diversified sugar and sugar-derived products division. The corporate lineage traces to 1889 with Reynolds Brothers Limited in KwaZulu-Natal, evolving through CG Smith Sugar Limited (JSE-listed 1992), adopting the Illovo brand in 1994, and the current legal entity being established in 2010. Total economic impact across the six countries of operation was estimated at R28.6 billion in the 2020/21 financial year by an independent environmental, social and economic study. Note: Specific operational or financial data for Zambia Sugar Plc as a standalone entity is not present in the source material; the analysis above reflects the parent group's documented footprint.

Name

Zambia Sugar Plc

Legal name

Illovo Sugar (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://illovosugar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Zambia Sugar Plc operates within ABF Sugar, a diversified African agri-processing group cultivating sugarcane and producing raw, brown, refined sugar, and syrup across six African countries under the Illovo brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sugar Manufacturing

NAICS

Cane Sugar Manufacturing (311314), Sugarcane Farming (11193)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Cane Sugar (Raw & Refined) (AFAJAAAA)

Keywords

• Sugar production
• Sugarcane cultivation
• Refined sugar
• Raw sugar manufacturing
• Agri-processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mazabuka

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Others

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Zambia Sugar Plc operates as a diversified agri-processing business engaged in the cultivation of sugarcane and the production of raw, brown, and refined sugar, as well as syrup, for supply to domestic and international markets. The company also co-generates electricity from renewable resources at its sugar factories to meet its own power needs and, in some locations, exports power to national grids.

Product overview

Illovo Sugar South Africa is a diversified agri-processing business and South Africa's third largest sugar producer. The company operates a unified product portfolio centered around sugarcane cultivation and sugar production, offering raw sugar, brown sugar, refined sugar, and syrup products. The business spans from agricultural operations through manufacturing to market distribution, with co-generation of electricity from renewable resources at their sugar factories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Raw Sugar

Quantifiable outcome

• R28.6 billion total economic impact across six countries of operation

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc: Nigeria's largest sugar refiner, part of the Dangote Group, with refining and backward-integration into cane production. Comparable as another large African integrated sugar producer targeting both domestic and regional sugar markets.
• Tongaat Hulett Limited: Historical South African sugar producer and agri-processor with integrated cane milling, refining, and downstream operations. Directly comparable as a same-geography, same-product competitor to Illovo Sugar South Africa in domestic sugar and downstream markets.

Broad incumbents

• British Sugar plc: UK sugar producer and fellow ABF subsidiary, operating sugar beet processing, co-generation, and downstream products. Closely comparable as a sister ABF Sugar asset with similar integrated sugar-and-energy operations.
• Südzucker AG: Europe's largest sugar producer, with integrated beet sugar, ethanol, and co-generation across multiple countries. Comparable as a diversified, multi-country sugar and renewable-energy processor operating at larger scale.
• Associated British Foods plc: UK-listed parent company and ultimate owner of Illovo Sugar South Africa via its ABF Sugar division. Comparable as the broader diversified food group whose strategic priorities and capital allocation shape Illovo SA's direction.

Peers

• Tereos SCA:

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/106014099430206
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zambia-sugar-plc
• Instagraminstagram.com/illovosugar_sa?igsh=MXVhMGUydnV1cWpqMw==
• TikToktiktok.com/@illovo_sugar?_t=ZM-8uBIGcu58oo&_r=1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zambia Sugar Plc