Sustained innovation and quality
Pioneer Fishing’s staying power results from a four-tier focus on technical innovation, quality control, environmental sustainability and upskilling employees. High-level automation and technology increase our productivity and capacity. This leads to more employment opportunities, empowered and skilled employees and sustained growth.
Product branding
Products produced at Pioneer Fishing West Coast are branded as Sea Pride, VIVA, Regal and Glenryck. In addition to local and international customers, our products are also distributed into institutional feeding sectors, specifically school feeding schemes, where the government includes canned pilchards in its nutritional feeding programme for primary and secondary school learners across the country.
The marketing of canned fish is done by Glenryck and for fishmeal, fish oil and other products are done by Sea Pride Products.
Processing plant
The processing plant at Pioneer Fishing West Coast in St Helena Bay includes a fishmeal and oil processing plant, a pilchard cannery, sophisticated fish-offloading systems, an ice plant, as well as engineering and mechanical workshops.
Food safety our priority
We are graded every year by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) to ensure our customers of the safety of our products. The audit system evaluates food safety throughout the company in terms of awareness as well as procedures.
Our hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) team works on our food safety and quality systems.
Environmental responsibility
Pioneer Fishing has a fleet of four purse seiner vessels rigged out to fish mainly anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), sardine (Sardinops sagax) round herring (Etrumeus whiteheadi).
MFV “RUWEKUS”
Ruwekus (meaning rough coast) was built in the 1970s by the Du Preez family (one of our founders) and is still fishing successfully today.
MFV “DUINEKUS”
Duinekus (meaning dune coast) was also built in the 1970s by die Du Preez family and is still going strong.
MFV “SECHABA”
Sechaba, built in 2014, was chosen as the name for this vessel from numerous entries received from employees in a competition held for this purpose. Sechaba (or setjhaba) is the Sesotho word for nation and appears in South Africa’s national anthem.
MFV “VIVA”
When a wooden vessel had to be replaced, it was decided to change to GRP (glass reinforced plastic). This vessel was named Viva – an expression or cheer that means “long live!”.