South African Business 2025

FOCUSA practical,

FOCUSA practical, three-prongedapproach to food securityBy Julian Palliam, President and CEO of Foskor.While South Africa is relatively foodsecure as a country, the 2024National Food and Nutrition SecuritySurvey highlighted the fact that,at household level, many people struggle withaccess to food.According to Statistics SA (Stats SA), around 80%of households report having adequate access tofood, which places South Africa around the midwaypoint on the Global Food Security Index. What dowe need to do in order to alleviate the situation asquickly and effectively as possible?The fulfilment of the top two SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs), eliminating poverty andhunger, depends on food security, better nutrition,sustainable agriculture and access to meaningfulwork. This provides us with clear areas of focus.The three-pronged approachA thriving and productive commercial agriculturalsector is vital. At Foskor, it is our mission to be anenabler of agricultural production, both in SouthAfrica and around the world. At home, we are theleading supplier of phosphate-based fertilisers tothe agricultural sector and we export our productsto many international markets. Supporting efficientfood production at scale by providing accessto seed, fertilisers and equipment has to be theprimary prong to the food-security solution.Secondly, we need to develop knowledge, skillsand capacity. This is necessary not only to improveproductivity and support economic growth butbecause these sectors are significant employers.Agriculture alone employs approximately 5% of theworking population: access to decent, reliable workalleviates poverty and hunger.The need to develop skills is urgent andrequires cooperation between the publicand private sectors. Partnerships like the oneFoskor has with AgriColleges International aretaking agricultural education into the heart ofcommunities with programmes that are designedto empower residents through both education anddevelopment initiatives.This brings us to what are important but oftenneglectedcontributors to food security and thethird prong of an integrated approach to the issue,home and community gardens. With access tofood being affected by diverse issues, householdparticipation in food production can be a lifelinefor many. At present, only 14% of householdsare involved in any kind of food production, butthis is changing. Community organisations andNPOs around the country are engaged in helpingcommunities to establish food gardens, advocatingfor sustainable growing practices and fosteringeconomic empowerment.Feed the soil, feed the nationTo summarise, the three-pronged approach touniversal food security is to support and developcommercial agriculture and related sectors, toprovide opportunities to develop agricultural skills atall levels, and to promote widespread participation inhome and community food gardening.At the heart of it all is Foskor’s belief that if wefeed the soil, we feed the nation. This is a beliefrooted in that every man , woman and child will notgo hungry and we will be able to create a betterworld for all. ■For further information, visithttps://www.foskor.co.za/SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 202540PHOTO: Wolfgang Weiser/ Pexels

Foskor mines andprocesses phosphateFertilisers vital for agriculture are a keyproduct of operations in Limpopo andKwaZulu-Natal.Foskor is a phosphate mining and processingoperation that produces phosphates forSouth Africa’s agricultural sector and forexport to countries around the world.It is the only vertically integrated producer ofphosphate ore, phosphoric acid and granularfertiliser in the country and is a key enabler of foodsecurity in South Africa and internationally.The company mines and beneficiatesphosphate-bearing rock at Phalaborwa in Limpopo,after which it is transported by rail to a dedicatedproduction facility in Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal.MarketsFoskor is South Africa’s leading supplier of granularfertilisers, the core ingredient in nitrogen, phosphateand potassium fertiliser products known as NPKs. Itis also a commercial producer of phosphoric andsulphuric acids and magnetite (a by-product of thephosphate beneficiation process), which are soldboth locally and abroad.Beyond serving the local market and SADCregional markets, Foskor supplies phosphoric acidand mono-ammonium phosphate to internationalmarkets. While the bulk of phosphate-rockconcentrate is used in the Foskor phosphoric acidmanufacturing plant, available products are alsoexported to international markets.High standardsThe company is ISO 9001 certified for QualityManagement, ISO 14001 certified for EnvironmentalManagement, OHSAS 18001 certified forOccupational Health and Safety Management andSANS 16001 certified for HIV/AIDS Management.Foskor was founded in 1951 by the IndustrialDevelopment Corporation (IDC).Foskor Phalaborwa: Mining DivisionFoskor Richards Bay: Acid DivisionHigh performanceAt Richards Bay the Acid Division has three sulphuricacid plants, two streams of phosphoric acid plantsand a granulation plant to make granular fertiliserproducts. Phosphoric acid is either exported in itsacid form, sold locally, or used in the productionof granular fertiliser at Foskor. Granular fertiliseris mainly sold locally. A recent highlight for thisdivision is the development of two new granularfertiliserproducts.The Mining Division reports an improved safetyrecord, maintenance of a high standard of qualitymanagement and the successful conversion ofmining rights. In addition, various infrastructureimprovement projects are progressing well.The improved financial performance ofFoskor has revived the possibility of futuregrowth, including a potential listing. This hasbeen illustrated by the R2.8-billion profit in thefinancial year ending in March 2023, after a periodof suboptimal performance by the business. Thecompany's biggest shareholder is the IndustrialDevelopment Corporation. ■41SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2025