Dutch animal nutrition company De Heus is stepping up its expansion across Africa, betting on strong long-term growth in livestock and aquaculture feed demand as population growth, rising incomes and changing diets drive higher consumption of animal protein.
The company said last week it had completed construction of a new animal feed manufacturing plant in Athi River, Kenya, at a cost of US$32 million. The facility is scheduled to officially begin operations on February 18 and has an annual production capacity of 200,000 tons, expandable to 260,000 tons. It will supply a broad range of specialised feed products for poultry, pigs, ruminants and aquaculture.
The Kenya investment is one of several projects De Heus has launched across the continent over the past year, underscoring a faster pace of expansion in Africa. In total, the group has added three new operational plants within 12 months and announced another factory project that is still under development.
In September 2025, De Heus revealed plans to establish a new animal feed plant in Côte d’Ivoire, although the company has not yet disclosed the size of the investment or the facility’s planned capacity. Earlier that same month, it inaugurated a US$25 million aquaculture feed plant in Uganda with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons, dedicated exclusively to fish feed production.
In March 2025, the company also announced the launch of a cattle feed plant in South Africa with an annual capacity of 15,000 tons. South Africa already hosts several of De Heus’ industrial sites, making it one of the group’s most established markets on the continent.
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Beyond these recent investments, De Heus has maintained a long-standing industrial presence in Africa, operating in countries including Ghana, Egypt and Ethiopia. The latest round of projects reflects a deliberate strategy to deepen its footprint in both established and fast-growing markets.
The expansion comes as Africa’s animal feed sector shows strong growth potential. According to projections by consulting firm Precision Business Insights, the African animal feed market was valued at about US$22.75 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 13.4 percent to reach roughly US$54.88 billion by 2032.
De Heus attributes the positive outlook to several structural trends. Rising population levels across Africa, coupled with increasing urbanisation and incomes, are driving higher consumption of meat, dairy and fish products. As diets evolve, demand for reliable, high-quality animal feed is expected to grow in parallel.
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The company also points to the expansion of intensive livestock and aquaculture farming systems, which typically rely on formulated feed products rather than traditional feeding methods. In addition, recurring animal disease outbreaks have increased awareness among farmers of the importance of nutritionally balanced and biosecure feed solutions.
In this increasingly competitive environment, De Heus’ accelerated investment programme signals its intention to secure a stronger position against other global feed and animal nutrition players active in Africa. These include Dutch peers Nutreco NV and Koninklijke DSM N.V., U.S.-based groups such as Cargill and Novus International, Germany’s BASF SE, and Austria’s Biomin Holding GmbH.
Industry analysts say proximity to customers, local production capacity and the ability to tailor feed products to regional farming conditions are becoming critical differentiators in African markets. By investing in modern plants across East, West and Southern Africa, De Heus aims to shorten supply chains, reduce costs and respond more quickly to local demand.
Looking ahead, the company is expected to continue assessing new opportunities as Africa’s livestock and aquaculture sectors mature. With demand for animal protein projected to rise steadily over the next decade, multinational feed producers such as De Heus see the continent not only as a growth market, but as a strategic pillar of their global operations.
