Our Story

Who We Are

CBH is one of the largest poultry and animal feeds producers in Africa. We were established in South Africa in 2003 and have operations in Botswana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Having aligned with sound partners, we have the resources to realise our vision of continued expansion into the rest of Africa.

Aiming to provide customers with a complete range of services, we extended our operations to cover all aspects of the industry, encompassing breeders, broilers, eggs, hatcheries, feed, abattoirs, distribution, and logistics.

Our well-known Supreme Poultry brand delivers quality products to customers and consumers across Africa, while we also provide house brands and specialised products to high-profile quick-service restaurants (QSRs).

Nutri Feeds sets the standard among farmers with our world-class feed products. Our high levels of quality, expertise and on-site training have earned the trust of our many customers.

We acquired the franchise rights to KFC in Zimbabwe and Zambia and now own a total of 17 KFC restaurants in these countries.

Our History

In 2003 Synapp International Ltd purchased Country Bird (Pty) Ltd from Senwes. At the time this small operation was based in Tigane and Botshabelo and its brand was Supreme. Over the next two years the poultry cycle underwent an upswing, which enabled Synapp to procure the assets of Agri Chicks. During that time Senwes Voere came onto the market and Synapp took the opportunity to add this feed-milling business to its portfolio.

Following a period of growth in South Africa and the prospect of new opportunities in other parts of Africa, Synapp decided to list the company on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The assets were consolidated into a single entity and Country Bird Holdings (CBH) was hatched. The company was successfully listed on the JSE during 2007. The poultry division of CBH was then renamed Supreme Poultry (Pty) Ltd, while the animal-feeds division became Nutri Feeds. The listing also included a breeding operation in Zambia, which had been owned by Synapp for over 20 years, as well as a 60% share in a breeding operation in Botswana, which it had acquired some five years earlier.

Our History

The South African milling partner was bought out in 2009, thereby giving CBH 100% ownership of Nutri Feeds. The same year CBH acquired an animal-feed milling operation in Gaborone, along with a small broiler farm and abattoir in Francistown, which added to its presence in Botswana. These operations were refurbished and expanded, and a second hatchery was later built in Francistown to accommodate regional demand.

During 2010 CBH decided to enter the animal-feed business in Zambia and a Nutri Feeds mill was built just outside Lusaka. This mill would go on to supply the breeding and broiler operations in that country as well as outside customers.

In 2011 CBH finalised a convertible loan with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to enable further upgrades to some of its existing operations in Africa, as well as to fund new ventures. In 2014 Black River Food Fund (now Proterra Investments) became a shareholder and development partner, and CBH delisted from the JSE. This paved the way for continued growth into Africa, and confidence in CBH’s potential was recognised by the IFC who went on to convert their loan into CBH shares the following year.

A commercial hatchery was built just outside Lusaka in 2015 thereby adding 40% additional capacity to the day-old chick operation in Zambia. The same year a virgin piece of land was acquired in Mazabuka and a new grandparent operation with a hatchery was built and commissioned in December 2015. In parallel, CBH established Africa Chicks – a hatchery operation in Swaziland supplying the local market as well as a good export customer base in southern Mozambique.

With strong support from the Mozambican government, CBH and business partners acquired a local flour and maize mill, which was then refurbished and commissioned during 2015. This operation is known as Escolha Do Povo. In the same year, CBH set its sights on Nigeria and acquired a majority stake in a small operation in Kwara State known as Valentine Chickens. After CBH invested in upgrades, the facilities now include a state-of-the-art hatchery, new broiler and breeder houses, and a refurbished abattoir. CBH has come a long way over the past 20 years and continues to grow, going from strength to strength.

Our achievements demonstrate a strong understanding of the sector, intuition, tenacity, and sustained effort based on solid strategy.

Our Future

Our future vision is about expansion into the rest of the continent, and our presence in six African countries to date bears testimony to a strategy in motion. We have a consumer-centric approach in South Africa, where we aim to target the right market segments and customers with the right product, to achieve sustainable and consistent demand via strong brands.

As amplified in our vision, CBH aspires to be the best poultry and animal-feed company in Africa. Key to this goal is a focused investment in assets, systems, financial controls, total quality and most importantly, in people, whom we nurture, develop, and see as our biggest asset.