Meatco has announced that its Oshakati abattoir has been approved to deliver certified free-range beef to South African retailer Woolworths.
This follows a successful audit which was completed last week at Meatco’s Oshakati operations, as well as on qualifying producers’ farms.

For the first time, Meatco can now deliver free-range certified product from the Northern Communal Areas (NCA) to Woolworths SA, explained Meatco spokesman Mario Poolman.
Cyprianus Khaiseb, Meatco’s Manager for the NCA, said: “This is a milestone for Meatco and the Namibian beef industry. It has proven that not only can we sell meat from the NCA to a high-end retailer such as Woolworths SA - which is an achievement in itself - but we have earned the privilege to be able to differentiate and sell our product in the premium space in these stores as well.”
Free-range beef fetches a higher price than commercial beef. Discerning consumers are willing to pay a premium for free-range certified beef, because it guarantees that the animal was raised naturally, free from growth-hormones and antibiotics, allowed to roam in the veld and raised and brought to slaughter with the necessary animal welfare practices in place, Poolman explained.
Meatco will pay NCA producers a free-range premium of 30 cents per kilogram above the Meatco Producer Price, which will be payable to all producers delivering to Meatco’s Oshakati abattoir who meet the free-range requirements. “We are only able to create this extra value through our world class operations and the co-operation of our producers,” said Khaiseb. The Meatco Oshakati abattoir is ISO 9001 and HACCP certified. Khaiseb estimates that 15% of the cattle processed at the factory will be eligible for free-range status.
Meatco gained entry onto Woolworths’ shelves by teaming up with Excellent Meats. Traditionally, the South African market is an A-grade meat market, where A-grade meat fetches prices around 30% above B-grade meat prices, Poolman explained. Namibian producers mainly produce B-grade meat and it was historically marketed as such. After Meatco gained access to Woolworths a few years back, and following its new marketing strategy, Namibian beef, regardless of grade, now fetches in the region of 15% above the South African A-grade meat price, he said. During the 2011/2012 financial year the company was able to pay its producers the highest average price in Meatco’s history.