Zoono Group, an international biotechnology company known for its antimicrobial formulations, has entered into a five-year partnership with Mpact Operations, Southern Africa’s largest packaging and recycling business. The initiative seeks to apply Zoono’s proprietary shelf-life extension technology to packaging for fresh produce — specifically grapes, berries, and stone fruit — across South Africa and Namibia.
The deal, executed through Zoono’s distribution partner OSY Group, is expected to generate at least US$3.1 million in packaging orders over the contract period. Mpact has been granted exclusive rights to integrate Zoono’s technology into corrugated board packaging — a widely used and recyclable material essential to agricultural exports.
For international readers unfamiliar with the players involved: Zoono Group is headquartered in New Zealand and specialises in antimicrobial products used in healthcare, food safety, and environmental applications. Its solutions are already being deployed in the UK and across Europe. Mpact Operations, a homegrown South African firm, operates 38 manufacturing and recycling plants across the region and processed over 588,000 tonnes of recyclable materials last year. OSY Group, meanwhile, functions as a bridge between agritech innovation and food supply logistics, focusing on the post-harvest stage where spoilage often undermines profitability.
The technology at the centre of this collaboration — developed and validated by Zoono and applied using OSY’s proprietary systems — is designed to prevent microbial spoilage without transferring chemicals to the surface of food. It has undergone years of testing across different retail chains and crop varieties and complies with global Food Contact Material safety regulations. Unlike conventional preservatives or fumigation treatments, this system is embedded directly into the packaging, offering a chemical-free method of extending the freshness of perishable goods.
Zoono has asserted that a one-day extension in shelf life could reduce waste by up to 50% in certain product categories — a compelling statistic for both exporters and domestic retailers operating in high-temperature regions or dealing with prolonged shipping routes. In markets like South Africa and Namibia, where infrastructure challenges and long-distance trade remain persistent obstacles, such innovation is not merely beneficial but potentially transformative.
For Mpact, the partnership reinforces its commitment to sustainability. Known for championing circular economic principles in the packaging sector, the company sees the integration of Zoono’s system as an opportunity to deliver value-added packaging solutions for its commercial clients — from regional growers to large-scale exporters.
What distinguishes this agreement from conventional business deals is its alignment with broader Pan-African development priorities. As the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) begins to reshape how goods move within and beyond the continent, value-chain innovation — particularly in agriculture — becomes vital. The Zoono-Mpact deal demonstrates how locally embedded companies can adapt and deploy globally validated technologies to meet African challenges on African terms.
Furthermore, this initiative presents an important alternative to narratives that frame African industries as passive recipients of innovation. In this case, Mpact and its partners are co-authors of a regionally relevant solution. By enhancing food safety, reducing emissions from waste, and improving shelf life, the system holds implications for rural livelihoods, trade sustainability, and climate resilience.
While the initial rollout is limited to corrugated packaging formats, Zoono has stated its intent to expand into other materials and packaging systems — potentially inviting cross-continental collaborations with manufacturers and agricultural sectors beyond Southern Africa. The company views this agreement as a strategic model for future engagements that combine biotechnology, sustainability, and supply chain logistics.
For international observers, the partnership offers a lens into how Southern African industries are engineering solutions at the nexus of health, trade, and technology, asserting agency over the design of food systems that serve both local needs and global standards. As food systems continue to evolve under pressure from climate change, urbanisation, and shifting global trade, such models of collaboration may soon become essential blueprints — not just for Africa, but for a world seeking smarter ways to reduce waste and protect supply chains.
