Consortium led by Salt Capital, including DEG and management sell 100% stake in Deep Catch Namibia Holdings to JSE-listed Imperial Logistics Limited
A consortium led by Salt Capital, which includes the German development finance institution DEG and management shareholders, has announced the signing of a sale and purchase agreement for the sale of 100% of the issued share capital of Deep Catch Namibia Holdings (“Deep Catch”) to JSE-listed Imperial Logistics Limited (“Imperial”) for an estimated purchase consideration of N$633 million.
Founded in 2007, Deep Catch has experienced significant growth and developed into a diversified and vertically integrated business engaged in the wholesale, distribution and cold storage of perishable foods (mainly poultry, fish and dairy products) in Namibia and the Southern African Development Community (“SADC”) region. Headquartered in Namibia with subsidiaries in Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia, Deep Catch today employs over 480 people and serves customers in the wholesale, hospitality and retail sectors including exporting Namibian and South African food products to other SADC markets.
Since the investment by the Salt Capital consortium in 2016, Deep Catch has developed and implemented a series of value creation strategies including focus on market footprint, expansive strategies in the SADC region and operational enhancements, including the development of two world-class cold storage facilities totaling 16,500 pallet capacity in Walvis Bay and Cape Town. In addition, Deep Catch, supported by DEG’s value-add initiatives, has embraced an ESG action plan, encompassing enhanced stakeholder reporting, human capital development, job creation, use of renewable energy sources and a focus on overall waste reduction through-out its operations.
Some of the notable outcomes achieved over the investment term include creation of 281 new jobs, meaningful inclusion of women in executive positions (33% of the Executive Committee), greater proportion of women in the workforce (32% of workforce are women), improvement of goods supply to difficult reachable locations in Namibia and reduction of the company’s environmental footprint, such as reducing grid energy usage through use of green energy option (c.50% reduction in grid electricity usage replaced with solar energy) and installation of an in-house water recycling plant.
Exit from the Deep Catch investment marks an opportune moment for the business to partner with Imperial, a leading market access and logistics solutions partner in Africa, who can complement, support and unlock material synergies for the business to embark its next growth phase.
“Imperial is excited about this acquisition which is in line with our ‘Gateway to Africa’ strategy. It provides our Market Access business with the opportunity to increase our reach into the consumer market and expand our footprint with new capabilities on the African continent,” says Mohammed Akoojee, Group CEO of Imperial.
Group director and co-founder of Deep Catch, Lewton Geyser, commented: “The exceptional growth of Deep Catch since inception 13 years ago, enabled by the initial Salt Capital consortium investment, has allowed the business to establish itself as a leading perishable food distributor and frozen fish exporter in Namibia. Access to Sub-Saharan African markets with Imperial's pioneering market access capability will enable expansion of its cold chain footprint and provide the essential logistics to simultaneously service affordable protein imports and in-country local food producers route to market.”
Jan Bosch, Managing Partner of Salt Capital, further commented; “Our investment in Deep Catch has been a successful journey for Salt Capital notwithstanding challenging times and market conditions. Full testament must be given to the entrepreneurial and driven management team and their ability to successfully adapt to a volatile operating environment, but more importantly to grow market share at a time when competition in the region has wavered. We would like to thank the Deep Catch team for their commitment, hard work and support during our investment term and wish them every success going forward as the business enters a new and exciting era under the management of Imperial Holdings.”
Anne Keppler, Regional Director of Southern Africa at DEG, added: “Founded on a close collaboration with Salt Capital, the investment in Deep Catch has succeeded in supporting management’s growth aspirations and positively contributing to local income and job creation in line with DEG’s developmental objectives. We are very appreciative of management’s dedication and efforts over the investment period and look forward to witnessing the business’s continued growth under Imperial’s stewardship.”
For further details on the transaction also refer to the announcement released by Imperial Logistics on the JSE Stock Exchange News Service (SENS).
DEG press contact:
Anja Strautz
Phone +49 (0) 221 4986 1474
www.deginvest.de
Notes to the editor:
About Salt Capital:
Founded in 2012, Salt Capital is a private equity investment firm focused on growth capital investments in the SADC region. Based in London and Johannesburg, Salt Capital has built a track record of successful investments with a core focus on the African consumer. For more information, visit www.saltcapital.com
About DEG:
For almost 60 years DEG has been a reliable partner to private-sector enterprises operating in developing and emerging-market countries. It provides its customers with tailor-made solutions, including financing, promotional programmes and advice tailored to individual needs. They can thus develop successfully and sustainably, while generating local added value and creating qualified jobs. With a portfolio of around EUR 8.5 billion in approximately 80 countries DEG is one of the world’s largest private-sector development financiers. Learn more: www.deginvest.de
About Imperial:
Imperial is an African focused provider of integrated market access and logistics solutions, with a focus on the following key industries — healthcare, consumer, automotive, chemicals, industrial and commodities. Imperial takes its clients and principals’ products to some of the fastest growing and most challenging markets in the world. Ranked among the top 30 global logistics providers and listed on the JSE in South Africa, Imperial seeks out and leverages new technology to deliver innovative, end-to-end solutions. Through its significant African footprint and international expertise, and with the support of its 25,000 people, Imperial’s purpose is connecting Africa and the world — and improving people’s lives with access to quality products and services. For more information, visit www.imperiallogistics.com
