From the 1st of September 2026, Synercore will extend its footprint in South Africa's food ingredient landscape by adding a well-established manufacturing plant in Bethlehem, Free State, specialising in spray dried products, specifically creamers.
The facility comes into the group through Synercore's acquisition of the Orthochem Plant 2 business, which will be fully integrated into the group and will operate as Allmark Foods Bethlehem.
Originally built to serve the dairy industry, the facility is equipped with a Niro spray dryer and evaporator, alongside pasteurisers, separators and storage silos, all housed within a high-grade stainless-steel plant. Set on an 8 000 m² stand with ample power and steam capacity, the site gives Synercore the infrastructure to produce a broader range of spray dried products at scale, while offering the flexibility to support customers across new categories in the specialised ingredient space.
The facility's location also positions Synercore strategically for export growth. With direct routing to Durban, the plant is well placed to support product destined for international markets, complementing the group's recent momentum in African exports.
“This acquisition strengthens Synercore's investment in the African food industry through the diversification of our local manufacturing assets,” says Dr. Tertius Cilliers, Chief Executive Officer of Synercore. “Spray drying adds an important new technology platform alongside our existing milling, blending and extrusion capabilities, and it does so on South African soil, with South African people, serving both local and continental markets. We believe the future of the African food industry will be built on exactly this kind of investment: modern, flexible manufacturing capacity that keeps value creation local while opening doors to export markets. Bethlehem gives us that, and we are excited to welcome the facility and its team into the group."
This expansion into spray-dried ingredients marks another step in Synercore's evolution from a specialist ingredient supplier into a multi-division food technology group, reinforcing its commitment to local investment, technical capability, and long-term partnership across the African food industry.
About Orthochem
Founded in 1985, Orthochem is the largest manufacturer of bread preservatives in the Southern Hemisphere and the sole South African manufacturer of calcium propionate and calcium acetate. It is the dominant supplier of bread preservatives to the South African baking industry and has exported to all continents, with its current export focus mainly on South East Asia for logistical reasons. In these markets, Orthochem's products have competed successfully on quality and price with well-known European and North American brands.
Orthochem operates two manufacturing facilities, both situated in Bethlehem, South Africa, and is an independent company that concentrates on quality, service and flexibility in order to satisfy customer requirements and preferences. Following the transaction, the Plant 2 spray-drying business will be fully integrated into the Synercore group and will trade as Allmark Foods Bethlehem.
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