A significant contributor to Namibia's economic landscape

Hangana Seafood (Pty) Ltd is a 100% Namibian-owned company, passionate about “Creating a future, enhancing life” for its employees, country and the people of Namibia.

With more than 1 400 employees, the subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group, is one of the leading employers in the Namibian hake fishing industry.

“Our employees are committed to making a positive impact not only on the business and environment but also in our own families’ lives and that of our community. This is a major contributing factor to the company’s success and which speaks to the O&L purpose and philosophy of ‘Creating a future, enhancing life’,” says Managing Director (MD) of Hangana Seafood Herman Theron.

The O&L Group aims to consistently remain an Employer of Choice based on global standards and achieved excellent results in the 2019 Great Place To Work (GPTW) Trust Index Survey. In the previous GPTW survey, Hangana Seafood achieved a 71% score on the GPTW Trust Index and 84% in the company’s employee engagement.

Hangana recently introduced free medical aid to all its bargaining unit employees. Benefits such as 50% meals subsidy; housing allowance; pension; an on-site clinic, and Employee Wellness Programs, are just a few of the many benefits enjoyed by all employees.

Despite the uncertainty of quota allocation and rights, and in line with the O&L Vision 2025, which is to be a catalyst for positive change, delivering new realities and fulfilling dreams, Hangana is committed to the overall sustainability of the Namibian fishing sector through its diversification strategy that includes aquaculture, providing fish to Namibians at affordable prices and value adding, as well as job creation in support of the O&L Group’s overall vision to create 10 000 employment opportunities and reaching an earnings target of N$4 billion before interest and taxes (EBIT) by 2025.

Hangana Seafood produces high-quality, frozen hake products manufactured in full compliance through total adherence to the Integrated Quality Management System consisting of HACCP, ISO 22000 and BRC Worldwide Standards for Food Safety.

This has earned the Walvis Bay-based seafood processor which has become synonymous with quality, innovation, dedication and accomplishment, an enviable reputation around the world.

Products of an impeccable standard are achieved which ensures that clients enjoy only the best of what’s to offer all over the world.

“We fulfil our obligation to produce safe and legally compliant products of the highest quality without additives and genetically modified organisms while striving to provide a wider range of retail products for international outlets,” Theron emphasises.

Hangana Seafood’s land-frozen products are mainly exported to France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, the SADC region and Australia.

The company is in the process of building a new processing facility with a capacity of 25 000 tons of quota per annum. In support of its trading and logistics strategy, the company is also adding a cold storage facility with a capacity of 2 500 metric tons.

Theron says the new facility is being built at a cost of close to N$300 million and will be completed by end October 2020. The new factory will enable the extraction of more value from raw material and swifter delivery of products on demand. The primary focus will be to further improve the quality of raw material, whilst focussing on producing more skinless, individually quick frozen products.

The new factory will also be more environmentally friendly in terms of water usage with an effluent water treatment plant as well as electricity consumption with plans to install solar energy.

The facility will create a better work environment for employees with the on-site clinic and Human Resources (HR) also located in the same building for easier access.

Hangana operates and manages its own fleet of seven wet fish trawlers with a combined catching capacity of 22 000 metric tons of quota per annum.

Theron said that Hangana is committed to responsible and sustainable fishing in Namibian waters.

“Our vessels use the newest technology on its fishing gear, namely Fondo bottom trawls / Uruque trawls, EL Cazador trawl doors / Thyboron trawl doors as well as an end mesh size of 110mm to prevent young fish from being caught.”

The freshness of each catch is ensured with great care. Heading and gutting takes place within the vessel where after the fish is carefully placed on ice while travelling back for further value extraction on land.

Hangana Seafood also acquired an abalone farm in Lüderitz in 2017. The company already invested N$60 million in Hangana Abalone. This is the first and only land-based abalone farm along the coast of Namibia.

Abalone (Halioitis midae) is a slow growing species that can take between three and five years to reach market size. The farm that employs 45 workers, has a current capacity of 90 metric tons and will further expand to 300 metric tons by 2025.

“The farm directly uplifts the lives of the Lüderitz community. We expect to employ 300 employees with its expansion in a few years,” says Theron.

Currently, the main export market for Hangana Abalone is Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Hangana Seafood also has a very visible corporate social responsibility footprint.

“An annual charitable shoebox initiative supported by the company and its employees enables a special Christmas delivery to physically-challenged children and adults. The company is also one of the proud sponsors and hosts of the annual O&L coastal Christmas celebration for an estimated 150 orphans and vulnerable children,” Theron added.

In conjunction with the annual events, monthly fish donations are made to various school feeding programs. Hangana recently also donated 20 school benches to the Okanguati Combined School located in the Kunene region. The learners are mainly from the marginalized societies of Ovadhemba, Ovatua and Ovahimba.

Hangana is also the proud sponsor and host of the annual Hangana Hake Run and Ride event for the past three years. Hangana is particularly proud of the fact that 15% of the entry fee is donated to prudently selected charitable organisations and/or educational facilities in need.

This year’s event, which consists of a 21km mountain bike race, a 90km road cycling race, a half marathon, 10km race and a full marathon, takes place on 3 October 2020.