SAS Group Acquires Majority Stake in South African Agritech Firm Afrikelp

South African agricultural inputs producer Afrikelp has been acquired by Spain-based Sustainable Agro Solutions Group (SAS Group), giving the international agricultural biosolutions company access to seaweed-based crop technology, harvesting rights and customers in more than 55 markets.

Announced on 19 October 2026, the deal sees SAS Group take a majority stake in Afrikelp. The companies have not disclosed the financial terms. Afrikelp’s management team will reinvest a significant portion of its proceeds in the business, maintaining its involvement under the new ownership structure.

Seaweed Technology at the Centre of the Deal

Afrikelp develops biostimulants from Ecklonia maxima, a brown seaweed harvested off South Africa’s Atlantic coast. Biostimulants support plant growth, crop quality and resilience to environmental stress, complementing conventional fertilisers and other agricultural inputs.

The company’s competitive advantage includes an exclusive concession to harvest the seaweed and a patented Cold Micronisation Process. This technology enables Afrikelp to produce concentrated seaweed-based formulations for agricultural use.

Its products are used across more than 45 crops, including fruits, vegetables and row crops. Afrikelp has built a customer base spanning North America, Europe, Africa and Latin America, giving SAS Group an established product platform and international distribution relationships.

SAS Group develops biostimulants, soil conditioners, plant defence activators and specialty plant nutrition products. The acquisition adds Afrikelp’s seaweed expertise to its existing portfolio and strengthens its capabilities in biological agricultural inputs.

SAS Group chief executive Xavier Mitjavila said seaweed-based products were an area the company wanted to expand. Afrikelp brings together proprietary technology, scientific expertise, access to a key natural resource and an established international customer base.

Sixth Acquisition Under Stirling Square

SAS Group is backed by pan-European private equity firm Stirling Square Capital Partners, which acquired a majority stake in the business in July 2021. Since then, SAS Group has expanded through acquisitions and investment in research, product development, production capacity and new markets.

Afrikelp is its sixth acquisition in that period. Previous deals include Biovert in 2023, Pevesa Agroscience in 2024, Aqua do Brasil and Codiagro in 2025, and Ceres Biotics in 2026. These transactions have added capabilities across biological crop inputs and specialty plant nutrition.

For SAS Group, Afrikelp also provides a stronger foothold in South Africa and additional capabilities to support expansion in the United States and other international markets. The company already operates in more than 100 countries.

Afrikelp chief executive Dr Nicole Hart said the business would continue serving customers with its existing focus on product quality and service. Its more than five decades of experience in seaweed-based agricultural solutions will remain part of the business under the new ownership.

The transaction also marks the end of RMB Ventures’ investment in Afrikelp. RMB first backed the company in 2019 through a management buyout, supporting its development and international expansion before the sale to SAS Group.