In the wake of announcing its 2025 Strategy, the O&L Group on Monday, 11 November 2019 announced its intent to merge 173 years of Namibian excellence into unlocking the full potential of the country’s meat industry. Sven Thieme, Executive Chairman of the O&L Group says: “By acquiring a majority stake in Hartlief, the O&L Group is taking the next step in fulfilling its 2025 vision of being a catalyst for positive change, by investing into the future and delivering new realities for Namibia at large. This investment allows us to consolidate opportunities within Hartlief and Windhoek Schlachterei, so doing enabling Namibia to compete with the best in the world, bringing Namibian goodness to SADC and beyond.”
Hartlief has a 7-decade track record, while Windhoek Schlachterei established in 1973 is part of the O&L Group which recently celebrated a centenary of value adding in Namibia. The announcement follows approval from the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) on a bid submitted by O&L to acquire the shares currently held by Christo van Niekerk, Chairman of the Hartlief Group. Van Niekerk says: “This merger allows for continuity and growth of the Hartlief Corporation Limited Group. Just like Hartlief, the O&L Group is a proudly Namibian entity which shares similar values and beliefs to those we have held over the years of growing Harlief in Namibia. I trust that this will allow for the realization of unique synergies between these two long standing Namibian businesses to the benefit of not only the shareholders and employees, but also of the Namibian nation as a whole.”
Thieme continued: “In growing our economy, we have to build strong Namibian companies that can be competitive in the Southern African region, thereby accessing more than 300 million potential consumers. We have taken Windhoek Lager to the world, we have to do the same with other Namibian brands.”
O&L Group CEO, Wessie van der Westhuizen echoed Thieme’s sentiments as follows: “In line with our purpose of Creating future, Enhancing Life, O&L wants to create the next Namibian opportunity for manufacturing, value adding, and job creation, which requires that we consolidate and build sustainable scalable Namibian operations that are able to compete in the global market. We have to go beyond borders in order to secure economic growth, and what better opportunity than to build forth on what Namibia is already known for, our quality meat. “
Thanking all the parties to the Hartlief legacy, Van Niekerk continued: “A new and exciting chapter is about to unfold for the meat industry in Namibia under the capable leadership of Sven Thieme and the O&L team. I am confident that the tradition of manufacturing a uniquely continental processed meat product will continue and be the source of great pride for all those involved in this great business. I wish the team well for the future as they continue to build the Namibian economy.”
