Major change for 53 popular brands in South Africa
Premier has concluded the acquisition of RFG, with the food-producing giant stating that the deal brings 53 iconic brands under one roof.
JSE-listed Premier said that RFG would be fully integrated into Premier as its new Culinary business, operating alongside Bakeries, Milling, Confectionery and Home & Personal Care.
“This marks an important step in bringing together two businesses with strong brand portfolios, deep manufacturing capability and a shared commitment to serving consumers,” said CEO Kobus Gertenbach.
RFG’s consumer brand portfolio will retain its brand names and identities, and the acquisition will not affect daily production operations, with no site consolidation envisaged.
The acquisition entrenches Premier’s position as the second-largest food manufacturer listed on the JSE, as it employs over 15,500 employees.
The company will also have 47 manufacturing facilities and 28 depots across South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho and Mozambique.
It added that the acquisition will bring 53 iconic brands across multiple channels and markets into one company.
Premier’s existing brands include Snowflake, Blue Ribbon, Impala and Iwisa, with RFG’s portfolio now adding Rhodes Quality, Bull Brand, Pakco, Magpie, Hinds Spices and many more.
“The combined portfolio offers meaningful synergies and growth opportunities for our brands and employees in the years ahead,” said Premier.
“We are pleased to welcome the Culinary team and look forward to their contribution as part of Premier.” As part of the deal, RFG has been delisted from the JSE.
Premier previously said that the combined group will have a combined annual revenue of about R28 billion and profit after tax of about R1.8 billion.
Investor backing of Premier
Sean Culverwell, Investment Analyst at Anchor Capital, has publicly backed Premier’s business, calling the company the “Shoprite” of milling and baking due to its Blue Ribbon brand.
“The company’s growth strategy hinges on three core drivers: single-digit revenue growth, operating margin expansion, and declining finance costs,” Culverwell previously said.
“Premier’s consistent execution against these levers has delivered industry-leading growth since its listing, a trend we anticipate will continue through the coming year.”
He added that buying RFG creates a formidable company and is especially good business for Premier, given the structure of the acquisition.
Premier acquired all of the ordinary shares of RFG, excluding treasury shares, in exchange for Premier’s own ordinary shares.
Anchor Capital noted that the deal makes strategic and financial sense, given the limited liquidity in Premier shares and the concentration risk of Millbake.
“Consolidating RFG addresses both, while also providing immediate earnings accretion,” Culverwell previously said.
“The industrial and route-to-market synergies between the two companies are obvious on paper, but such benefits are often difficult to deliver in practice.”
Nevertheless, Culverwell noted that Gertenbach and his Premier team have given little reason to question their execution, which has raised optimism about what Premier can achieve as a consolidated entity.
Loading ...