In the last week of August, the Alfa Laval Food & Pharma Division management team visited South Africa for the first time together, marking a significant milestone in the division’s commitment to strengthening its presence across Africa.

The visit included engagements with regulatory authorities, partners, and customers, and featured the jointly hosted seminar with Business Sweden South Africa titled “Future of Food Security and Advanced Pharma Production in Africa.”

The seminar convened leaders from across the continent for high‑impact discussions and panel sessions focused on addressing Africa’s growing need for high‑quality food and pharmaceutical products.

Throughout the visit, collaboration emerged as a central theme. Cedric Domont, President of Alfa Laval Middle East, South & East Africa, emphasised the strategic importance of the region, noting that “Africa is one of the most dynamic regions in the world, with the highest population growth globally.”

This visit reflects our long‑term commitment to supporting the continent’s development. “By focusing on execution and strengthening collaboration with partners, we are ready to make a meaningful impact and drive sustainable growth. I want to thank our colleagues and partners for the constructive discussions and strong engagement throughout the visit.”

The discussions held during the week underscored the rapid transformation underway in Africa’s food and pharma sectors.

Bongani Twala, General Manager of Alfa Laval South and East Africa, highlighted the momentum, stating that “Africa’s food and pharma sectors are transforming rapidly, and this visit reinforces our commitment to supporting the regional market with solutions that are reliable, efficient, and tailored to local needs.

“Collaboration across regions is essential, and this week demonstrated the strength of our collective ambition.”

The visit also served as a platform to refine the division’s Africa strategy. Dhiraj Singh, VP Food & Pharma, Alfa Laval Middle East, South and East Africa, reflected on the strategic alignment achieved, noting that “Africa is entering a decade of accelerated growth, and the demand for sustainable, hygienic, and adapting proven scalable technologies has never been higher.

“Our discussions this week helped sharpen our strategy and deepen our partnerships. By working closely with colleagues, customers, economists, partners and policymakers, we are positioning Alfa Laval to play a central role in Africa’s food and pharma development.”

As Africa continues its rapid industrial and demographic expansion, Alfa Laval remains committed to supporting the continent’s development and advancing its mission of helping billions of people access nutritious food, clean water, and safe medicine.

The insights gained during the visit will guide the division’s next steps as it strengthens collaboration, accelerates execution, and deepens its engagement across Africa.

“This visit underscores the division’s commitment to Africa, a region experiencing the highest population growth globally. By focusing on progress and execution, and by working closely with our colleagues and partners, we are well-positioned to make a meaningful impact and drive sustainable growth in Africa.

“We’d like to thank our colleagues and partners for the good discussion and collaboration during our visit,” says Sammy Hulpiau, President of the Food & Pharma Division.

Working closely with customers and partners worldwide, Alfa Laval challenges conventional thinking on engineering, quality, and innovation.

Together driving the solutions of the future, inspiring progress towards a more resourceful, less wasteful world.

Alfa Laval was founded more than 140 years ago, has customers in over 100 countries, employs more than 23,500 people, and annual sales were 69.6 BSEK (6.6 BEUR) in 2025.