Montego Pet Nutrition
South African brand turns twenty and aims to expand beyond the African continent in the near future.
Home-grown wholesome goodness
Montego Pet Nutrition is a premium pet food manufacturer that started in the heart of the Karoo region of South Africa in 2000. Founded by Hannes van Jaarsveld, and growing from humble beginnings as an ambitious start-up into the successful business it is today, it operates both locally and internationally. The company maintains a FSSC22000 certification, demonstrating its commitment to food safety and delivering high-quality, world-class products to local and international customers. Built on a strong foundation of entrepreneurial spirit, family values, quality and innovation, the company’s belief in continuous improvement and adaptability has kept it at the forefront of the South African industry.
Crossing borders
The Montego range covers all categories – economy, premium, super premium and grain-free, plus complementary products. As a contract manufacturer, it also produces dry and complementary products as private labels. It is proud to be the largest independent pet food manufacturer in Africa.
Montego’s experience, and the ever-evolving technology within its facilities, allows the company to produce high-quality pet nutrition that is attractive to markets beyond the South African border. It currently exports to twelve countries: Angola, Bahrain, Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Targets for 2020 include Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the Far East.
Committed to environmental principles
The Montego manufacturing facility recently underwent major upgrading, costing almost $10 million (€9 million). This included an automated packaging system, and a massive solar plant that decreased electricity consumption by 1.4 million kWh annually, true to the company’s commitment to environmentally responsible manufacturing principles. Other improvements are infrastructure to increase the semi-moist manufacturing facility and bakery output, plus extensions to administrative offices.
20 in 2020!
Montego now employs almost 500 people in four cities in South Africa, with its international department located in the capital, Pretoria. 2020 brings Montego’s 20th anniversary, to be celebrated at Interzoo in Nuremberg. Currently under the management of Johan van Jaarsveld, who took over from his father in 2015, the future of this exciting and ambitious manufacturer is one to keep an eye on.