Health and nutrition

Context

Public health in South Africa is in crisis. High rates of obesity and lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) occur alongside hunger and malnutrition that disproportionately affect lower-income households. Public aspirations for health and wellness are higher post-COVID, yet economic constraints limit the ability of most people to afford healthier options. Regulatory controls relating to public health that affect food processing and marketing companies continue to gain traction, including regulations on front-of-pack food labelling, marketing to children, and a tax on sugar.

As a food processing company, we aim to exert a positive influence on consumer health and nutrition throughout the value chain. Responsibly crafted food products with transparent health messaging can enhance health outcomes. Fortification of foods with added vitamins and minerals reduces nutrient deficiencies and offers broader health benefits. Accurate and simple to understand nutritional information on packaging educates consumers, and responsible marketing practices promote healthy choices among children and adolescents. Providing affordable, shelf-stable healthy foods alleviates nutritional challenges for economically stressed households. Finally, well-known, purpose-driven brands have the capacity to influence healthier lifestyle choices beyond just food and diet.

Approach

As Africa's largest food company, we can use our products and brand messaging to play a key role in both enabling and promoting better household nutrition. We are committed to making healthy eating accessible and affordable across all eating occasions by carefully balancing the nutritional profile and cost when developing our products. Consumer-based product innovation is a core priority for growing our business (see IR), and we see valuable opportunities in leading the health and nutrition agenda in South Africa and across the continent. We are looking to realise these commercial opportunities through our health and nutrition strategy, and are building a strong innovation pipeline that looks to combine health and nutrition with trends for convenience, affordability and value. By addressing public health challenges directly through our business, we are building stronger customer relationships, supporting broader societal goals, and securing long-term resilience.