Combining 173 years of excellence

Mariselle StofbergIn the wake of announcing its 2025 strategy, the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) group announced on Monday its intent to merge 173 years of Namibian excellence into unlocking the full potential of the country’s meat industry. Sven Thieme, executive chairman of the O&L Group, said by acquiring a majority stake in Hartlief, the O&L Group was taking the next step in fulfilling its 2025 vision of being a catalyst for positive change by investing in the future of Namibia. “This investment allows us to consolidate opportunities within Hartlief and Windhoek Schlachterei, which enables Namibia to compete with the best in the world, bringing Namibian goodness to SADC and beyond,” he said. Hartlief has been in business for seven decades, while Windhoek Schlachterei, established in 1973, is part of the O&L Group which recently celebrated its centenary.The announcement follows approval from the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) for O&L to acquire the shares currently held by Christo van Niekerk, chairman of the Hartlief Group. “This merger allows for continuity and growth of the Hartlief Corporation Limited Group. Just like Hartlief, the O&L Group is a proudly Namibian entity which shares similar values and beliefs to those we have held over the years of growing Harlief in Namibia,” Van Niekerk said.“I trust that this will allow for the realisation of unique synergies between these two long-standing Namibian businesses to the benefit of not only the shareholders and employees, but also of the Namibian nation as a whole,” he added.“In growing our economy, we have to build strong Namibian companies that can be competitive in the Southern African region, thereby accessing more than 300 million potential consumers. We have taken Windhoek Lager to the world and we have to do the same with other Namibian brands,” Thieme added. The chief executive officer of the O&L group, Wessie van der Westhuizen, echoed Thieme’s sentiments. “In line with our purpose of ‘Creating Future, Enhancing Life’, O&L wants to create the next Namibian opportunity for manufacturing, value-adding and job creation, which requires that we consolidate and build sustainable scalable Namibian operations that are able to compete in the global market. “We have to go beyond borders in order to secure economic growth, and what better opportunity than to build on what Namibia is already known for, our quality meat,” Van der Westhuizen said.“A new and exciting chapter is about to unfold for the meat industry in Namibia under the capable leadership of Sven Thieme and the O&L team. I am confident that the tradition of manufacturing a uniquely continental processed meat product will continue and be the source of great pride for all those involved in this great business. I wish the team well for the future as they continue to build the Namibian economy,” he added.Van der Westhuizen described his years of engagement in the Namibian meat industry as memorable, filled with highs and lows, forging new relationships, steep learning curves and many successes.

Combining 173 years of excellence

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-16

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Combining 173 years of excellence

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-16

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