Oceana, Africa’s largest fishing company, has moved to establish water security through desalination plants at two of its factories on the West Coast. Desalination is a controversial technology, with the costs of establishing and operating plant often cited as prohibitive. However, the technology gained attention following the recent drought in the Western Cape. Oceana’s acting CEO, Imraan Soomra, said that at R35m the capital expenditure to ensure the provision of up to 1.4-million litres of potable water daily was negligible when measured against the real risk of another prolonged drought in the Western Cape. The Oceana Group is a global fishing company and employs about 2,000 people on the West Coast, mostly at St Helena Bay and Laaiplek. Food security Oceana is also the leading supplier of canned pilchards in Southern Africa and throughout the continent. According to the company, its low-cost, high-protein product was an important contributor to food security in the region. Abou...
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