History

1872

First Nestlé products arrive in South Africa

1916

The first Nestlé products arrived in South Africa during the 1870s, and the company’s presence in the country was formally entrenched on 7 July 1916 when it registered as a company.

1927

To meet the demands of a growing country, local production started in 1927 with the purchase of the South African Condensed Milk Company Ltd factory in Donnybrook and the Estcourt and Franklin factories of Joseph Baynes Limited.

1937

Condensed milk and milk powders. Nespray manufactured in Standerton

1938-1944

Nestlé’s newest product, NESCAFÉ launched worldwide. NESCAFÉ becomes the world’s top selling coffee brand

1947

More diversification came in 1947 when Nestlé merged with Swiss company, Alimentana SA. This signalled the birth of the popular MAGGI bouillon cubes and dehydrated soups, which soon became a household name.

1975

Nestlé's head office moved from downtown Johannesburg to Randburg

1985

Nestlé acquired US food giant Carnation

1993

The formation of Dairymaid-Nestlé (Pty) Ltd in 1993, a 50% partnership with Imperial Cold Storage (Pty) Limited, marked the start of a formidable combination of expertise and branding, resulting in the development of innovative and quality ice cream products for the South African market.

1998

In 1998, Nestlé purchased Rowntree, a UK-based company, which is one of the world’s largest chocolate and confectionery companies. This acquisition brought with it the South African company, Wilson-Rowntree.

The amalgamation of the two companies was an ideal match of strengths and resulted in a formidable presence in the marketplace. In February 1998, Nestlé South Africa (Switzerland) and Borden Foods Corporation (Columbus, Ohio), entered into agreements for Nestlé to acquire a number of Borden Brands’ international activities.

Due to these acquisitions, Nestlé SA further strengthened its presence in the milk market with the takeover of the entire business of Borden (Pty) Ltd, manufacturers of well-known international brands such as CREMORA and KLIM.

2000

July 2000 saw Nestlé SA acquire two local mineral water brands, Valvita and Schoonspruit. Under this agreement, Nestlé also acquired the Valvita and Schoonspruit water sources and the bottling plant at the Deep Water Estate in Gauteng. Valvita has since been re-launched as Nestlé Pure Life mineral water and is prominent within the retail sector.

2001-2003

n January 2002, Nestlé SA acquired the remaining 50% shareholding in Dairymaid-Nestlé (Pty) Ltd from Tiger Brands. As a result Dairymaid-Nestlé became a wholly owned subsidiary of Nestlé SA. The company was renamed Nestlé Ice Cream in early 2003.

By January 2002, Coca-Cola and Nestlé announced that their global joint venture partnership, Beverage Partners Worldwide (BPW), was extended to South Africa. This expansion to the South African market signalled the introduction of Nestea Ice Tea, which has helped to grow the ready-to-drink tea category in South Africa.

2005

Harrismith plant upgraded to the state-of-the-art high tech infant formula production factory

2006

Nestlé celebrated 90 years in South Africa. Nestlé’s presence in South Africa has resulted in a multi-million rand investment annually with purchases of milk and other raw materials. This in turn provides employment to more than 4 000 people and security for thousands of dependents.