Lotus Bakeries: Welcomes South Africa’s President Ramaphosa

Lembeke / BE. (lbbv) At the beginning of May, Lotus Bakeries Group welcomed South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa to its Wolseley site. Together with Jan Boone (Group CEO), Isabelle Maes (CMO Lotus Bakeries and CEO Natural Foods) and Donald Matheson (MD Lotus Manufacturing ZA), the visit was a significant recognition of the Belgian group’s firm commitment to the strategic expansion of production capacity, maintaining the highest product quality standards and actively promoting local job creation.

(Photos: Lotus Bakeries Group)

Since 2019, Lotus Bakeries has invested in two factories in Wolseley in the Western Cape, which now produce «Bear» fruit buns and «Nākd» raw food bars, two key strategic brands within the Lotus health food business. The «Bear» brand was acquired by Lotus Bakeries in 2015. After a successful commercial integration, the next step was the integration of production in 2019. The plant has proven to be very agile and efficient from the start, which has enabled an expansion of capacity and staff in recent years. The expansion was necessary to keep pace with the growth of «Bear»’s sales both in the UK and internationally.

(Photos: Lotus Bakeries Group)

In early 2024, Lotus Bakeries celebrated the opening of its production facility for «Nākd» bars in Wolseley. Previously, these bars were only produced by a co-producer in the UK. Due to increasing sales and the aim of internationalization, the main objective of the partial outsourcing of production was to have a second production center and better control over the entire supply chain. Today, the plant produces over 170 million units per year for the global market and plays an important role in the development of the local community, employing over 750 people. Since opening five years ago, the number of employees has doubled, underlining Lotus Bakeries’ commitment to making a positive impact in the community.

Isabelle Maes, CMO Lotus Bakeries and CEO Natural Foods, emphasizes South Africa’s strategic role as a production location for the snacks: «Our commitment to sustainability is reflected, for example, in our procurement: all packaging for «Bear» and «Nākd» products comes from local production, and a large proportion of the raw materials are also sourced in South Africa. In addition, our Wolseley plants have one of the largest solar plants in the region, which ensures self-sufficient power generation.»

The visit by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa to the local production facilities of Lotus Bakeries is greatly appreciated by the Group. Last but not least, the visit symbolizes a deep appreciation of the Group’s commitment to promoting prosperity, employment and sustainability in Wolseley at the Western Cape.