End of a 22-year era for iconic South African meat producer 

Eskort CEO Arnold Prinsloo will step down in March 2027, bringing his two-decade-long tenure at the meat producer to an end.

Under Prinsloo’s leadership, Eskort has grown to 30 stores across South Africa with a range of 300 antibiotic-free pork products.

Eskort recently announced that Prinsloo will retire on 1 March 2027. He will be succeeded by Herman Janse van Rensburg.

Prinsloo has been Eskort CEO since 2007, having previously served as its chief operating officer (COO) since 2004.

In the COO role, Prinsloo was responsible for production, engineering, product development, logistics, productivity improvement, supply chain management, and procurement.

His appointment as CEO in August 2007 coincided with a major milestone for Eskort, as it was also celebrating its 90th anniversary.

Eskort was founded in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, in August 1917, and was originally known as the Farmer’s Co-operative Bacon Factory.

It was established by a group of nine local farmers, and its first factory was opened in June 1918.

As the group expanded, it adopted the name ‘Eskort’ and converted from a cooperative into a private limited liability company in 1998.

In 2000, Eskort expanded into the fresh pork market, with many of its products packed under the labels of South Africa’s leading retailers.

When Prinsloo was appointed as CEO in 2007, he said he reflected on this history with pride, but added that the company would not stand still. 

His mission was to establish strong, loyal partnerships and provide South Africans with high-quality products.

This is exactly what he did. Today, Eskort boasts 30 stores across South Africa, with plans to continue expanding.

Its products are stocked by major national retailers, including Checkers, Pick n Pay, Shoprite, and Spar.

Eskort has also expanded into supplying local hotels, restaurants, and cafés, distributing its products to tens of thousands of customers.

Major players in the hospitality sector, namely Bidfood and Econofoods, also buy Eskort’s products and supply them to their customers.

The new man at the top

Prinsloo is leaving behind big shoes to fill for his successor, Janse van Rensburg, who will take the helm on 1 March 2027.

While not an internal appointment, Janse van Rensburg has decades of experience in the food sector, having worked in the dairy industry for 25 years.

He joined Lactalis in 2010 as its finance manager and has spent the past three years serving as the company’s general manager.

Like Prinsloo, he was the company’s chief operating officer before being promoted to general manager.

In announcing Janse van Rensburg’s appointment, Eskort’s owner, First Food Brands, said he brings the right combination of financial acumen, operational depth and executive leadership that the company needs.

As CEO, Janse van Rensburg will be tasked with continuing to grow Eskort’s manufacturing capability, retail footprint, and product innovation.

“Having led one of South Africa’s most respected food businesses, Herman understands what it takes to build and sustain a brand that communities trust,” First Food Brands chairman Gerard Braak said.

Braak said Prinsloo will be handing over a business that is stronger, more innovative, and more widely loved than it was before he took over.

“He has led the business through periods of profound challenge and of tremendous growth, always with a clear sense of what Eskort stands for and where it needs to go,” he said.

“On behalf of the board, I want to express our gratitude for his leadership and his legacy.”

Janse van Rensburg said he is honoured to be joining Eskort at “such an exciting point in its journey”.

“Eskort has always combined resilience with adaptability, and I am excited to help write the next chapter of that South African success story,” Janse van Rensburg said.