SOUTH AFRICA · COMPANIES
Astral Foods, the South African poultry and animal-feed producer, warned on Tuesday 10 November 2026 that a demand for a minimum monthly salary of R13,500 (about US$824) could put jobs at risk at its Olifantsfontein plant in Gauteng province, which runs Festive Chicken, one of Astral’s chicken brands. Workers’ representatives say the strike began on 29 October 2026, and Astral says it does not recognise the group that called it as a trade union.
The company said the demands are not affordable and would put the long-term viability of the operation, and the jobs it supports, at risk. It added that the plant is running with a reduced workforce while contingency measures are put in place to restore full production.
The warning comes under two weeks before Astral publishes full-year results, for a year in which it expects earnings per share, meaning profit divided by the number of shares, to roughly double. Astral trades under the share code ARL.
Key Facts
- The warning Astral says a R13,500 (about US$824) monthly pay demand could put jobs at risk.
- The dispute Astral does not recognise the Simunye Workers Forum, a workers’ group, which declared the dispute, as a trade union.
- The count Astral says about 400 of over 2,500 plant staff are striking; workers say over 1,100.
- The profit Astral expects full-year earnings per share to rise 90% to 100%; results are due 23 November.
What Astral Has Said
Astral says the dispute was declared by the Simunye Workers Forum, a group it does not recognise as a trade union. The company says two recognised unions represent most of its employees and that they are not party to the dispute.
Astral puts the number of strikers at about 400 of the more than 2,500 employees at the plant. Workers and their representatives told local reporters the figure is more than 1,100, and the two counts have not been reconciled.
Astral condemned what it called violence and intimidation by forum members against colleagues who want to work. It also rejected claims of unsafe and unhygienic conditions, calling allegations that uniforms and protective equipment were shared unwashed “false and misleading”.
Astral says the operation is audited against ISO and FSSC 22000, two international food-safety standards. Government departments and accredited agencies also inspect it, according to Astral.
What the Workers Say
Workers’ representatives told local reporters that they also want protective equipment and permanent jobs. Local reporting says they went to the Labour Court, a specialist South African court for employment disputes, on 30 October, and their lawyers say the strike is protected; we could not read any court order.
Profit Is Rising as the Dispute Grows
In its trading statement of Thursday 29 October 2026, a short notice of expected results, Astral said it had a reasonable degree of certainty that earnings per share for the year to 30 September 2026 would rise 90% to 100%. That means 4,324 to 4,552 cents (about US$2.64 to US$2.78), against 2,276 cents (about US$1.39) a year earlier.
Headline earnings per share, which exclude one-off items, are expected to rise 95% to 105%, to between 4,277 and 4,496 cents (about US$2.61 to US$2.74). Astral named softer maize and soya prices, which lowered feed costs, higher broiler production, better farming efficiency and improved sales realisations, meaning better selling prices and a richer product mix, as the drivers.
The figures are unaudited, and the full results are due on Monday 23 November 2026 on SENS, the Johannesburg exchange’s announcement service. Dollar figures here use the 10 November 2026 market rate of R16.39 per US dollar.
What It Means for You
Investors in Astral shares will want to read the 23 November results for any mention of lost output or extra costs from the strike. For wider context see our reports on minimum wages on South African farms, on Ghana’s poultry import deal and on the global chicken trade.
What Is Not Known
The length of the strike, the true number of strikers and the outcome of any Labour Court proceedings are not confirmed. Astral and the workers give different headcounts, and neither figure could be checked against a payroll or court document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Astral Foods warn about jobs?
Astral says a demand for a minimum monthly salary of R13,500 (about US$824) is not affordable. It says the demand would put the plant’s long-term viability and its jobs at risk.
Who called the strike at the Festive Chicken plant?
Astral says the dispute was declared by the Simunye Workers Forum, which it does not recognise as a trade union. It says its recognised unions are not party to the dispute.
When does Astral publish its full-year results?
Astral expects to publish its results for the year to 30 September 2026 on Monday 23 November 2026. It has said earnings per share should rise between 90% and 100%.
Is the plant still working?
Astral says the Olifantsfontein plant is operating with a reduced workforce and that contingency measures are in place to restore full production. The workers dispute how many are on strike.
Sources: Astral Foods Limited, trading statement and operational update, 29 October 2026. Strike details are statements by Astral and by the workers as quoted in local reporting on 10 November 2026.
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