Wyda Packaging has acquired key operational assets from Hulamin Containers, including presses and moulds. This strategic move positions the business as sub-Saharan Africa’s largest aluminium foil container manufacturer and significantly expands local manufacturing capacity in the food service, retail and catering packaging sectors.
The acquisition marks a major step forward for the Johannesburg-based business, established in South Africa in 2016 as part of the global Wyda group. It strengthens the company’s role in the local aluminium packaging value chain while reinforcing supply into a market that has faced disruption in recent years.
Before the transaction, Wyda Packaging operated five presses and around 50 moulds. Through the acquisition, the company has added 17 presses and more than 200 moulds, taking its total installed base to 22 presses and more than 250 moulds. This increases its press base by 340% and its mould base by more than 400%, while significantly broadening the range of foil container formats it can offer.
Wyda Packaging already converts around 1,000 tonnes of aluminium annually in a local market estimated at around 2,000 tonnes per year. The acquisition is expected to strengthen supply reliability, deepen local manufacturing capability and help stabilise a category that is critical to food producers, wholesalers, retailers and the hospitality sector.
“This is the right step at the right time for our business and for the market,” says Carlos Schutte, Managing Director of Wyda Packaging in South Africa.
“With this acquisition, we are stepping into a clear leadership position in the sector. It gives us the scale, manufacturing depth and product range to better serve wholesalers, food producers, retailers and hospitality customers. Our ambition is to provide a dependable, service-led local alternative and help grow South African manufacturing capacity.”
Hulamin’s container division has long supplied rigid aluminium foil containers used in catering, baking and household applications. Wyda Packaging is consolidating capability in a market where reliable local supply has become increasingly important, by integrating these operations into its own manufacturing footprint.
The deal also supports Wyda Packaging’s broader growth plans. As the business integrates the new assets, it is seeking new premises in Kempton Park to accommodate its enlarged operational footprint and future expansion. The company is also preserving specialist manufacturing knowledge by retaining technical skills and experience linked to the former Hulamin operation.
In addition to growing production capacity, the acquisition strengthens the company’s ability to diversify beyond foil containers. It already offers household foil, cling film, baking paper, wax wrap, pre-packs, lids and paper bowl solutions, enabling it to serve a wider range of customer needs.
As customer expectations continue to shift towards packaging that delivers on performance, reliability and environmental responsibility, Wyda says its growth strategy is firmly tied to supplying solutions that are both commercially viable and aligned with longer-term sustainability considerations.
“Sustainability is not an add-on for us; it forms part of how we think about long-term value creation,” says Schutte. “Aluminium is durable, versatile and infinitely recyclable, which makes it an important part of the future packaging mix.”
Wyda Packaging is a member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) and holds certification aligned to internationally recognised standards, including FSSC 22000 for food safety and FSC chain of custody for sustainably sourced paper-based products.
“This acquisition builds a stronger, more responsive packaging partner for South Africa and the continent, while investing in the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the local packaging industry,” he concludes.