The impending KwaZulu-Natal High Court hearing on Tongaat Hulett Limited’s possible liquidation could signal a crossroads for nearly two-thirds of South Africa’s sugarcane growers. The stakes are exceptionally high, as more than 18,000 growers, predominantly small-scale farmers, rely heavily on Tongaat Hulett’s mills to process their sugarcane. An unfunded liquidation would not only jeopardise these operations but also threaten thousands of rural jobs, casting a long shadow over the industry’s future.
As the milling season commences in other regions, Tongaat Hulett’s suppliers remain in limbo, awaiting news on when the company’s mills will reopen. Following the company entering business rescue in October 2022, it has managed to remain…