Synercore expands dairy manufacturing with new spray-drying facility in Bethlehem

SOUTH AFRICA – Synercore Food Holdings has announced plans to expand its footprint in South Africa’s food ingredient landscape by adding a well-established manufacturing plant in Bethlehem, Free State, specialising in spray-dried products, including milk powders and concentrates, as well as creamers.

Originally built to serve the dairy industry, the facility is equipped with a Niro spray dryer and evaporator, alongside pasteurisers, separators and storage silos, all housed within a high-grade stainless-steel plant.

Set on an 8 000 m² stand with ample power and steam capacity, the site gives Synercore the infrastructure to produce a broader range of spray-dried products at scale, while offering the flexibility to support customers across new categories in the specialised ingredient space.

The facility’s location also positions Synercore strategically for export growth. With direct routing to Durban, the plant is well placed to support product destined for international markets, complementing the group’s recent momentum in African exports.

“This acquisition strengthens Synercore’s investment in the African food industry through the diversification of our local manufacturing assets. Spray drying adds an important new technology platform alongside our existing milling, blending and extrusion capabilities, and it does so on South African soil, with South African people, serving both local and continental markets,” said Dr. Tertius Cilliers, Chief Executive Officer of Synercore.

“We believe the future of the African food industry will be built on exactly this kind of investment: modern, flexible manufacturing capacity that keeps value creation local while opening doors to export markets. Bethlehem gives us that, and we are excited to welcome the facility and its team into the group.”

This expansion into spray-dried ingredients marks another step in Synercore’s evolution from a specialist ingredient supplier into a multi-division food technology group, reinforcing its commitment to local investment, technical capability, and long-term partnership across the African food industry.

Established in 2016, Synercore’s ultimate vision is to provide innovative and sustainable food solutions to Africa that meet customer and consumer demand, along with an accurate awareness of market developments and opportunities

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