Initiating a new food industry
African Aquaculture Company (ACC) and our wholly owned subsidiary, Cape Atlantic Salmon are initiating a major new industry in Southern Africa. There is massive potential for large-scale farming of Atlantic salmon in the cold Benguela Current off the coast of Namibia.
Aquired licenses of a total of 51,000 tonnes hog
The company has in 2024 acquired three licenses totaling 51,000 tonnes HOG: ACC 1, ACC 2, and ACC 3, each for 17,000 tonnes HOG. This defines a clear path to becoming a major international aquaculture company and a game-changer for the region.
From sea to shipment in just 6–8 hours.
Transported live from the net cages in wellboats
Stunning and cooling
Bleeding
Quality control and cleaning
The fish is given its ‘salmon passport’
De-stress period in waiting pen
Cut the gills and throat
Gutting and filleting
Packing in a box with ice
Stacking and transport
Established regional infrastructure
In our locations in Namibia and South Africa, there is established infrastructure with stable power supply, ports, processing industry, transport, and logistics. We have established collaborations with industrial partners, governmental institutions, universities, and local experts.
20 years of aquaculture history in southern africa
In Namibia and South Africa, there are documented results of farming Atlantic salmon and producing smolt over the last 20 years. By combining this local expertise with Norwegian state-of-the-art technology and 50 years of offshore experience, we will create a complete industry and value chain in Southern Africa.
Land-based concept for salmon farming
Land-based farming of Atlantic salmon has proven strong biological results, low mortality rates, and a high superior share.
The South African coastline has very few sheltered bays that can be utilized for traditional net pen production, and the available bays have depth restrictions. Several pilots have been conducted on growing salmonids in net pens with good biological success, but operational issues due to sea energy levels and depth have halted the expansion.
African Aquaculture Company has therefore developed a concept of land-based salmon farming in South Africa. The water from the Benguela Current has proven to have optimal temperatures for salmon farming. There will be no need for cooling or heating the water.
The long-term target is to produce 50,000 tonnes HOG per annum of Atlantic salmon in South Africa with onshore production facilities over multiple sites. South Africa has a strong land-based marine aquaculture industry, in the form of the abalone industry, with all the necessary support services and infrastructure.
The salmon life cycle.
Salmon start their life on land in an incubator tray. Just like wild salmon, the fertilisation takes place in fresh water. The roe are kept at a constant temperature for around 80 days before hatching. Established egg suppliers can scale their production to demand by obtaining more or less fish for breeding during the preceding season.
When the eggs hatch, the fry nourish themselves on the yolk sac on their stomachs. Once this has been consumed, they are fed with pellets, and as the fry grows they are moved to larger tubs.
After 10-16 months in freshwater, the salmon is ready to be placed into the sea. At this stage, each fish weighs between 80-120 grams, and it has gone through a great change known as smoltification. This change enables a salmon to live in saltwater.
After smoltification and reaching a certain size, we rear the salmon in aqua forms for 12-18 months. The farms are located in the sea with good water replacement, ensuring optimal living conditions. The salmon stays there until it has reached its market-ready weight of 2-5 kg.