19/10/2026
𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡
The partnership brings together shared expertise, innovation and a commitment to sustainable agriculture.
Cape Town, South Africa and Lleida, Spain, 19 October, 2026
Afrikelp, a leading South African producer of premium seaweed-based biostimulants, is pleased to announce an exciting new chapter in its more than 50-year history as it joins Sustainable Agro Solutions Group (“SAS Group”), a global leader in agricultural biosolutions and specialty plant nutrition, backed by Stirling Square Capital Partners (“Stirling Square”).
The partnership follows SAS Group's acquisition of a majority stake in Afrikelp and marks a significant milestone in the company's journey. It brings together two businesses with a shared passion for science, innovation, sustainability and delivering meaningful value to growers around the world.
For Afrikelp, joining SAS Group represents an opportunity to build on its strong South African heritage, established international relationships and scientific expertise, while benefiting from the resources, capabilities and global reach of an international agricultural biosolutions group.
A partnership built on shared values and complementary strengths
With more than five decades of experience, Afrikelp has established itself as a trusted global supplier of high-quality biostimulants derived from Ecklonia maxima, sustainably harvested from South Africa's Atlantic coastline.
Through its proprietary and patented Cold Micronisation Process, extensive research capabilities and rigorous quality standards, Afrikelp has developed a differentiated range of solutions that support crop performance, resilience and productivity. Today, its products are used across more than 45 crops and supplied to customers in over 55 international markets.
SAS Group brings complementary expertise in biostimulants, soil conditioners, defence activators and specialty plant nutrition, supported by a strong research and development platform and an established presence in more than 100 countries.
Together, these strengths create exciting opportunities to expand market access, accelerate research and product innovation, and bring advanced agricultural solutions to more growers globally.
An exciting future for Afrikelp and its partners
By combining Afrikelp's specialist knowledge of seaweed-based biostimulants with SAS Group's broader technological capabilities, product portfolio and international network, the companies aim to unlock new growth opportunities and strengthen their contribution to sustainable agriculture.
Importantly, Afrikelp remains committed to the relationships, service excellence and consistent product quality that have defined its success over the past five decades. Its management team will remain invested in the business, reflecting their confidence in its future and their commitment to this next phase of growth.
Dr Nicole Hart, Chief Executive Officer of Afrikelp, commented:
“Today marks an incredibly exciting milestone for everyone at Afrikelp. We are proud of what we have built, and even more excited about what lies ahead.
“In SAS Group, we have found a partner that shares our values, our commitment to scientific excellence and our passion for sustainable agriculture. Their global presence, complementary expertise and focus on innovation create tremendous opportunities for Afrikelp to grow, reach new markets and bring our unique seaweed-based solutions to more growers around the world.
“While this marks the beginning of a new chapter, our commitment to our customers, our people and the quality of our products remains unchanged. We look forward to continuing this journey together and creating a stronger future for Afrikelp and the wider SAS Group.”
Xavier Mitjavila, Chief Executive Officer of SAS Group, said:
“We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Afrikelp, which represents a significant step forward in our strategy to build a global leader in agricultural biosolutions. Seaweed has been a key area of our portfolio that we have been looking to expand, and Afrikelp brings a highly differentiated combination of scientific expertise, proprietary extraction technology, privileged access to Ecklonia maxima, and an established international customer base.
We look forward to working closely with Nicole and the Afrikelp team, combining their expertise with SAS Group’s broader product portfolio and international presence to accelerate growth, deepen our presence in key strategic markets, and bring these solutions to more customers around the world.”
For Afrikelp, this partnership represents an opportunity to combine decades of knowledge and experience with new perspectives, resources and capabilities, while staying true to the company's purpose of nurturing growth.
𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐩
Afrikelp is a South African company specialising in premium seaweed-based biostimulants derived from Ecklonia maxima, sustainably harvested from the Atlantic Ocean. Combining more than 50 years of experience with advanced science and proprietary extraction, standardisation and quality-control processes, Afrikelp develops scientifically validated solutions that support crop performance, resilience and quality.
Guided by its purpose of nurturing growth, Afrikelp works with leading agricultural businesses around the world to deliver trusted, high-performance biostimulant solutions that contribute to more productive, resilient and sustainable agriculture.
𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩
Sustainable Agro Solutions Group (SAS Group), headquartered in Lleida, Spain, is an international group specialising in agricultural biosolutions and specialty plant nutrition. Operating in more than 100 countries, SAS Group develops innovative products and technologies to support crop performance and sustainable agricultural production. Through its NOBA technology platform and international network of specialist businesses, the Group places science, innovation and sustainability at the centre of its growth strategy.
𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬
Founded in 2002, Stirling Square Capital Partners is a pan-European private equity firm focused on internationalising and digitalising mid-market businesses. Managing more than EUR 3.5 billion, the firm has invested in over 30 platform companies and supported more than 100 add-on acquisitions globally.
For more information, visit www.stirlingsquare.com.
