South African Atlantic Salmon: Port Nolloth onshore salmon development
Project history
The Port Nolloth Atlantic Salmon Project forms part of a broader regional aquaculture initiative led by South African Atlantic Salmon (SAAS), developed in partnership with African Aquaculture Company (AAC) and Norwegian technology partners. The concept originated when a group of Norwegian aquaculture pioneers recognised the unique potential of the Benguela Current, which provides cold, nutrient-rich seawater ideal for salmon farming along the west coast of southern Africa.
Initially, AAC established offshore salmon operations in Lüderitz, Namibia, under Namibian Atlantic Salmon (NAS), using sea-based production methods. As part of the natural evolution of this initiative, a land-based expansion model was conceived for South Africa, where offshore conditions are too rough for traditional sea cages but the marine water quality is ideal for onshore flow-through systems.
SAAS was established in 2024 as a dedicated South African entity to develop this new onshore salmon farming industry. The project is based on Norwegian flow-through technology developed by Andfjord Innovation, which combines the biological advantages of sea farming with the environmental control and efficiency of land-based systems. This technology ensures high fish welfare, energy efficiency, and minimal ecological impact.
Following extensive site investigations supported by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), two sites were identified for development:
- Paternoster (Western Cape) – Phase 1 pilot project (20 tonnes)
- Port Nolloth (Namaqua Mariculture Park, Northern Cape) – Phase 2 expansion site
The Port Nolloth project will be the first large-scale onshore salmon operation in the Northern Cape, forming part of the Namaqua Mariculture Development Zone under the Operation Phakisa Oceans Economy Programme. It represents the regional expansion of SAAS’s model and a key step toward achieving a long-term production capacity of 100 000 tonnes per annum of sustainably farmed Atlantic salmon in Southern Africa.
The initiative combines Norwegian expertise and technology transfer with South African empowerment and local participation, in partnership with the Basani Marine Group (a 71% black-owned aquaculture investment company). It will contribute significantly to job creation, food security, export revenue, and regional economic diversification in the Northern Cape.
- Targeted sector: Aquaculture – Onshore Salmon Farming
- Investment value: Capital Expenditure alone will be between R1-billion and R1.5-billion
Development area:
| Year | Activity/project phase for 10 000 tonnes | Direct jobs created | Indirect jobs created | Total number of jobs |
| 2028/29 | Construction Phase Two | 150 – 200 | 300 – 400 | 450 – 600 |
| 2030 | Commercial Phase | 75 – 100 | 300 – 400 | 375 – 500 |
| Total 10 000 tonnes | 950 – 1260 |
Description of the project
Southern African Atlantic Salmon (SAAS) aims to establish the first large-scale onshore Atlantic salmon farming operation in South Africa, using cutting-edge Norwegian flow-through technology. The company is looking at multiple locations along the coastline in the Western and Northern Cape provinces. The project will commence with a 20-tonne phase one in Paternoster, followed by a full-scale 10 000-tonne production phase.
SAAS is targeting to build a sustainable and ecologically sound fish farming industry in South Africa based on the learnings obtained in Norway over the last decades. Hatching eggs of salmon and trout in order to increase fish abundance in rivers and (re)introduction of fish in closed waters have a 170 years tradition in Norway and the industry has grown significantly over the last decades. The long term target is to produce 100,000 tonnes per annum of Atlantic Salmon in South Africa.
The West coast of southern Africa, from Gansbaai and up to Lüderitz, has ideal water temperatures for farming of Atlantic salmon. The Benguela current is transporting cold water from the Antarctic with typical water temperatures from 10 ºC to 16 ºC. East of Cape Agulhas, the water temperature is assumed to be too high for farming of Atlantic salmon. However, the South African coastline has very few sheltered bays that can be utilized for traditional net pen production and the available bays have depth restrictions, thus the farming is assumed to start onshore in controlled environment whereas offshore production units may be installed in the future.
SAAS will spear-head this potentially new industry in South Africa based on recent technological innovations from Norway. The company is searching for sites in South Africa and the team has visited multiple sites along the coastline of Northern and Western Cape based on recommendations from DFFE. Currently, two sites have been identified for salmon farming, the Namaqua Mariculture Park in Port Nolloth and the Oyster farm in Paternoster and the company has started to work on high level development plans for these areas.
The team has over the last years put in significant time and resources for development of salmon farming in South Africa. Combined knowledge of salmon farming and in-depth understanding of the specific sites and sea conditions provide the intellectual property to ensure success of this exciting venture.
Being a first in its kind in South Africa, the development will consist of multiple stages:
- Smolt will initially be produced at the Fizantakraal freshwater site in the vicinity of Paarl for continued supply of smolt. For commercial quantities a new company, “Benguela Smolt SA”, was incorporated to operate all future smolt requirements.
- Phase One to showcase the concept of farming salmon onshore in South Africa.
- Phase Two with construction of 8 pools for grow-out of salmon in commercial quantities of 10 000 tonnes to meet increasing demand domestically as well as for export.
A site has been secured for the initial smolt production, Fizantakraal, which takes place in fresh water. The site has been operating for more than 20 years and has also produced salmon smolt before, in addition to trout ova for export.
The project will follow the aquaculture regulations in South Africa and the project development will be based on the outcome of the pilot and the environmental impact assessment (the EIA report).
The company will import ova from leading suppliers, hatch the ova and grow the smolt to 100-150 grams in its facility in South Africa, and transport the smolt by road to the grow-out site in Paternoster. The salmon will be grown to 3,5 – 5 kg in onshore basins, before slaughtering and selling the salmon into the Southern African market until volumes reach the marked size where after export markets have been identified.
Operations are planned to start, subject to regulatory constraints, with import of ova in 2025 to start production of smolt. After approximately one year, the smolt can be transferred to the sea-water basins for the grow out phase which takes another year (12-14 months). After demonstrating commercial viability in South Africa, SAAS is planning a production ramp-up in steps of 10 000 tonnes towards the long-term goal of 100 000 tonnes production capacity in onshore basins split at different locations. Each production step of 10 000 tonnes is expected to give an annual revenue of around 80-million EUR based on the average salmon price of 8 EUR/kg .
The Pilot stage is expected to last for 2 – 3 years and with an expected corresponding investment of 3-million EUR.
For each 10 000 tonnes step, the capex investment is estimated to around 1,3-billion Rand.
The initiative aligns with South Africa’s Operation Phakisa Oceans Economy strategy and contributes to national goals for food security, job creation, and foreign currency generation.
Partnership
- Private sector
- Local municipality
- DFFE
- Stellenbosch University
Invest / Partner
Potential private sector investment or business partners are encouraged to make contact with the project team. Please provide a brief introduction and summary of potential level of engagement:
