Meat Corporation of Namibia facts for kids

Meat Corporation of Namibia, often called MeatCo, is a big company in Namibia. It's based in Windhoek, the capital city. MeatCo processes meat and is the largest company that sends high-quality beef from Namibia to other countries.

MeatCo's Story

MeatCo started in 1986. Back then, it was called the Swameat Corporation. It was a government company that managed meat production and exports in Namibia. In 2001, its name changed to Meat Corporation of Namibia, or Meatco.

In 2003, countries in Europe stopped buying meat from Namibia for a short time. This meant Meatco had to send back many containers of fresh meat. But Meatco kept growing! In 2008, it began sending its products to new places like Switzerland and Dubai.

In 2012, the Namibian government announced a change for Meatco. Most of the company, 70%, would be owned by a group of farmers called a cooperative. The government would own the remaining 30%.

Meatco continued to expand its reach. In 2017, it sent its first beef shipment to China. By 2018, the company was doing better financially, reducing its losses.

In January 2020, Mushokabanji Mwilima became the new CEO of Meatco. He used to lead a farmers' union. The very next month, Meatco made history! It became the first company to export African beef to the USA. Meatco also started working with the European Union again to sell meat there. Because of a serious drought, Meatco also looked to import more cattle from Botswana. The company also took over managing the Katima Mulilo meat factory.

In May 2020, a well-known businessman and legal expert, Johnnie Hamman, was chosen as the new Chairperson of Meatco.

What MeatCo Does

Meatco mainly makes frozen, vacuum-packed beef cuts. These are sent to other countries. They also make ready-to-eat meat and corned beef. All their organic products come from cattle that roam freely in Namibia.

Meatco sells its products to many countries. Its biggest customers are South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Norway. But it also sells to places like Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, China, and Dubai.

Meatco has many facilities. These include places in Windhoek, Okapuka, Johannesburg, London, Oshakati, Katima Mulilo, Otjiwarongo, Grootfontein, and Okahandja.

The places where Meatco processes meat are very clean and safe. They have special certifications like HACCP and ISO 9001. This means their products meet high quality and safety standards.

Meatco also owns a part of a company in Norway called GPS Norway AS.