Name of the Project
Sedibeng malting facility.

Location
Heinekens’s Sedibeng Brewery near Johannesburg, in Gauteng, South Africa. Its location adjacent to the brewery will allow for malt to be transferred by conveyors, reducing emissions and costs.

Project Owner/s
French agro-industrial company Malteries Soufflet and drinks producer Heineken Beverages.

Project Description
Heineken entered a commercial partnership with Soufflet Malt in March 2025 to supply malt used in Heineken’s South African operations.

The facility, with a 100 000 t capacity, will be the most technologically advanced malthouse in South Africa and will produce 50% fewer emissions than the industry average using trigeneration and solar energy.

The project is structured around full local barley procurement, with all feedstock to be sourced from South African growers. Within that, the target is for 30% of processed barley to come from emerging and small-scale commercial farmers. Once operational, the facility is expected to replace a substantial share of imported barley previously used in the brewing chain, reducing import dependence and strengthening domestic supply.

The development is expected to expand barley demand across key producing regions, including Gauteng, Limpopo, North West and the Western Cape, and support growth in irrigated barley production. 

The malthouse will use trigeneration and direct conveyor transfer of malt to the adjacent brewery. This configuration is intended to reduce logistics costs and lower emissions, with the facility targeting emissions of about 50% below industry averages.

Potential Job Creation
At steady state, the project is expected to contribute about R750-million a year to agricultural GDP, support an estimated 200 to 250 farms across about 30 000 to 35 000 ha under barley, create 55 direct jobs, and add an estimated 200 to 300 indirect jobs across agriculture, logistics and related services.

The project is also linked to farmer-support mechanisms, including agronomy programmes focused on training and production practices, as well as financing support for emerging farmers through the Heineken–IDC partnership.

Capital Expenditure
Soufflet will invest €100-million to build the new malting facility.

Planned Start/End Date
The facility is targeted for operation by mid-2027.

Latest Developments
Soufflet Malt has started construction on the project. 

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Not disclosed.

Contact Details for Project Information
Malteries Soufflet, tel +33 3 25 39 41 11 or email contact@souffletmalt.com.
Heineken Beverages, tel +27 10 226 5000.