What Does Pioneer Foods Do?

Total employees13000
HeadquartersTygervalley, Bellville, Cape Town
Founded1997

Pioneer Foods is a prominent South African food and beverage manufacturer with a rich history and a diverse portfolio of iconic household brands, including Sasko, Weet-Bix, Liqui-Fruit, Ceres, White Star maize meal, and Spekko rice. Founded in 1997 through the merger of Sasko and Bokomo, the company grew to become one of the largest FMCG companies in South Africa. In March 2020, Pioneer Foods was acquired by PepsiCo, Inc., and is now a core part of PepsiCo's Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) business. This acquisition aims to bolster PepsiCo's presence in the region and expand its product offerings. Pioneer Foods continues to operate its well-known brands, benefiting from PepsiCo's global expertise and resources while maintaining its strong local heritage.

Where Is Pioneer Foods's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Serves as the central administrative, strategic, and operational headquarters for the Pioneer Foods business unit within PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa. It oversees brand management, supply chain, finance, and other corporate functions for its extensive portfolio.

Notable Features:

Located in Glacier Place, a modern office park known for its contemporary architecture and A-grade office facilities, providing a conducive environment for a leading FMCG company.

Work Culture:

As part of PepsiCo, the work culture emphasizes collaboration, innovation, consumer-centricity, and talent development, guided by PepsiCo's global values adapted to the South African context. There's a focus on driving growth and operational excellence.

HQ Significance:

The headquarters is significant as the nerve center for many iconic South African brands. It represents PepsiCo's commitment to the South African market and its strategic base for operations in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.

Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters reflects professionalism, efficiency, and a commitment to providing a high-quality work environment, aligning with the global standards of PepsiCo while maintaining its South African operational focus.

Location:

While historically focused on Southern Africa, Pioneer Foods, now as part of PepsiCo, has an enhanced global reach. Its products are primarily distributed across South Africa and exported to several other African nations and select international markets. PepsiCo's extensive global network supports further expansion opportunities for Pioneer Foods' brands, particularly within the Sub-Saharan Africa region where PepsiCo is actively growing its footprint. Functions supported globally include brand marketing, supply chain management, and product innovation, leveraged by PepsiCo's international expertise.

Street Address:

Glacier Place, 1 Sportica Crescent

City:

Tygervalley, Bellville, Cape Town

State/Province:

Western Cape

Country:

South Africa

Where Else Does Pioneer Foods Operate Around the World?

Atlantis, Western Cape, South Africa

Address: Neil Hare Road, Atlantis Industria, Atlantis, 7349, South Africa (Approximate for Weet-Bix factory)

Serves the national market for Weet-Bix and contributes significantly to local employment in the Atlantis industrial area. It's a key asset in Pioneer Foods' cereals division.

Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa

Address: Bon Chretin Street, Ceres, 6835, South Africa (Location of Ceres Fruit Juices operations)

Strategically located in the fertile Ceres valley, renowned for its fruit production. This plant supplies both domestic and international markets, supporting the regional agricultural economy.

Various Locations, South Africa

Address: Multiple sites across South Africa

These facilities ensure a widespread manufacturing and distribution network, enabling fresh and timely delivery of products like bread, flour, and maize meal to communities across the nation.

Buying Intent Signals for Pioneer Foods

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading Pioneer Foods? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, Pioneer Foods' leadership includes:

Riaan Heyl - Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Martin Neethling - Chief Financial Officer, PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Tsholo Moncho - Chief Human Resources Officer, PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Karien Zohn - Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) - South Africa
Lee-Ann Govender - Commercial Director, PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

Who's Investing in Pioneer Foods?

Pioneer Foods has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

PepsiCo, Inc.

What Leadership Changes Has Pioneer Foods Seen Recently?

Hire1
Exits1

The most significant leadership transition affecting Pioneer Foods' oversight was the appointment of Riaan Heyl as CEO of PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa in early 2023, succeeding Tertius Carstens who retired. This change directs the strategic leadership for all PepsiCo operations in the region, including Pioneer Foods.

Departures

Tertius Carstens, Tertius Carstens retired from his role as CEO of PepsiCo SSA.

New Appointments:

Riaan Heyl, Riaan Heyl appointed as the new CEO for PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byPioneer Foods?

Discover the tools Pioneer Foods uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Pioneer Foods Email Formats and Examples

As Pioneer Foods is part of PepsiCo, employees typically use PepsiCo's corporate email format. The most common format is firstname.lastname@pepsico.com.

[first].[last]@pepsico.com

Format

jane.doe@pepsico.com

Example

90%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About Pioneer Foods?

Food Business AfricaMarch 7, 2024

Pioneer Foods (PepsiCo) news: PepsiCo South Africa’s positive agriculture programme champions female farmers with food security focus

PepsiCo South Africa is advancing its PepsiCo Positive (pep+) agenda by supporting 11 female farmers through its R6.5 million (US$340k) positive agriculture programme, aimed at bolstering food security and sustainable farming practices....more

BizcommunityNovember 20, 2023

Pioneer Foods (PepsiCo) news: PepsiCo's R300m investment to boost Weet-Bix production

PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa invested R300m into its Weet-Bix facility in Atlantis, Western Cape. This investment is aimed at increasing manufacturing capacity for one of South Africa's most popular breakfast cereals....more

Pioneer Foods (Press Release / Social Media)August 31, 2023

Pioneer Foods (PepsiCo) news: White Star triumphs at the 2023/2024 Ask Afrika Icon Brands Awards

White Star, a leading maize meal brand under Pioneer Foods, was recognized as an Icon Brand at the Ask Afrika Icon Brands Awards, highlighting its continued popularity and trust among South African consumers....more

PepsiCoMarch 2, 2020

Pioneer Foods (PepsiCo) news: PepsiCo Completes Acquisition of Pioneer Foods

PepsiCo, Inc. announced it has successfully completed its acquisition of Pioneer Foods Group Ltd. for R110 per share in cash, (approximately US $1.7 billion), a leading food and beverage company in South Africa....more

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