South African aluminium foil and packaging company Wyda Packaging has acquired key operational assets, including presses and moulds, from Hulamin Containers, significantly expanding 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 a joint venture with Brazilian packaging multinational Wyda.

It strengthens the company’s role in the local aluminium packaging value chain and reinforces supply into a market that has faced disruption in recent years.

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 addition 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, the company says.

Wyda Packaging converts around 1 000 t/y of aluminium in a local market that is estimated to convert about 2 000 t/y of aluminium.

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 acquisition 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,” says Wyda Packaging South Africa MD Carlos Schutte.

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, he says.

Meanwhile, 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.

It is also preserving specialist manufacturing knowledge by retaining technical skills and experience linked to the former Hulamin operation, he notes.

The acquisition also provides an opportunity for the company to diversify beyond foil containers.

As customer expectations continue to shift towards packaging that delivers on performance, reliability and environmental responsibility, Wyda's growth strategy is firmly tied to supplying solutions that are commercially viable and aligned with longer-term sustainability considerations, says Schutte.

“Sustainability is not an add-on for us; it forms part of how we think about long-term value creation. Aluminium is durable, versatile and infinitely recyclable, which makes it an important part of the future packaging mix.

“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 says.