Southern Africa has become well known for being one of the
cheapest places to produce sugar. Consequently, million of tons are produced in
the region every year. Two companies have come to dominate much of this
lucrative industry: Illovo Sugar and Tongaat-Hulett. It is little wonder (given
how profitable the sector is), that in 2012 these two South African
headquartered sugar giants once again declared massive annual profitsi. In
fact, Illovo and Tongaat-Hulett have been reaping in billions of Rands from
their operations in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi,
Zambia and Swaziland over the years.
Illovo and Tongaat-Hullett have publicly claimed that
despite their drive to maximise profits and their self-declared goals of
becoming the cheapest sugar producers in the world; they have also played a
valuable social role in the southern Africa.
