The inner workings of a major malt production facility in Caledon were put under the spotlight this week, serving as a live case study for the critical, yet often unseen, role of freight and logistics in powering the Western Capes economy.
The visit to the South African Breweries' SAB Caledon Maltings plant was orchestrated to highlight the symbiotic relationship between large-scale private industry and the provinces transport infrastructure. The event framed efficient road and rail networks not as a public convenience, but as an indispensable backbone for commerce, job creation, and supply chain stability.
The Caledon Maltings facility, noted as the largest malting plant on the African continent, is a significant hub in the regional economy. According to the Western Cape Mobility department, the plant sources 95 of its raw materials locally, processing barley into malt for distribution to various breweries. This operation supports hundreds of jobs and drives demand for local agriculture, packaging, distribution, and retail sectors.