After years of denial and courtroom back-and-forth, South Africa's food manufacturing giant Tiger Brands is taking its first real steps toward compensating victims of the country's deadliest foodborne illness outbreak - a listeriosis crisis that left over 1 000 people infected and more than 200 dead .
The outbreak, which surfaced in 2017 and continued into 2018, was eventually traced to a production facility operated by Enterprise Foods in Polokwane, Limpopo - a subsidiary of Tiger Brands. Now, seven years on, a partial settlement offer has been placed on the table in the class action lawsuit that has haunted the company's reputation ever since, as reported by the Daily Maverick .
The deal, facilitated by QBE Insurance Group - Tiger Brands lead reinsurer - was formally made on 25 April 2025. According to the company, this proposal offers to pay proven or agreed compensatory damages in line with South Africa's Consumer Protection Act. But crucially, it does so 'without admission of liability,' a caveat that may frustrate some of the victims' families.
Still, it's the most tangible sign of progress in the long-running legal fight. The settlement applies to a specific group of claimants: those infected by the ST6 strain of Listeria monocytogenes, and families who lost loved ones or cared for those who fell ill from it.
Tiger Brands CEO Tjaart Kruger described the development as an 'important milestone,' especially after interim relief payments were disbursed earlier this year to those with urgent medical needs. The current focus is now on identifying qualifying victims and calculating appropriate compensation - a process that will unfold over the coming weeks.