In the 12 months to the end of June 2025, Rainbow Chicken Ltd reports total revenue of over 15.8 billion South African rand (ZAR; US$924 million).
According to the firm’s Annual Report 2025 published recently, this figure represents a year-on-year increase of 9%.
In terms of profitability, the group reports a 66% improvement from the comparable period in Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) at almost ZAR1.06 billion. A 2.3 percentage-point rise in EBITDA margin took this metric to 6.7% for the year just ended.
Furthermore, the company says that it is continues to make good progress with its turnaround strategy.
Contributing to these positive developments in its business were effective cost management, and improvements in feed quality and bird performance. As well as a year-on-year increase in chicken volume, Rainbow’s Poultry Division has been able to optimize its sales through different channels, and enhance its product mix. At the same time, feed costs and expenses linked to load-shedding and highly pathogenic avian influenza were more favorable in the last 12 months.
Meanwhile, the firm’s Animal Feed Division has improved its operational efficiency and expanded its margins.
Outlook for Rainbow Chicken
Looking ahead, board chairman P.R. Louw said that Rainbow Chicken will continue its transformation into a resilient, efficient, and inclusive poultry business.
“The group’s ambition is to re-establish itself as a best-in-class, fully integrated poultry producer with market leadership in added-value products, while being conscious of the imperative of building stakeholder value,” he said. “The Group will also continue to invest in sustainable technologies, diversify its feed supply chains, and enhance climate adaptation strategies in the foreseeable future.”
Commenting on the firm’s future priorities, CEO M.P. Stander said that commodity prices are likely to continue to be volatile, putting ever more pressure on consumers.
“Our efforts to localize supply and reduce dependency are essential in navigating economic uncertainty and supporting affordability for South African households, especially as consumers continue to face mounting pressure,” he said.
Overview of the poultry division
A fully vertically integrated company, Rainbow manages and operates 165 farms, comprising 1,257 poultry houses, according to Rainbow Chicken’s latest Annual Report. Furthermore, it runs eight hatcheries, three primary processing plants, two facilities for further processing, and six feed mills.
The group also holds a 50% stake in Matzonox, which operates two “waste-to-value” (W2V) facilities.
Businesses are organized in five business units: three regional integrated Poultry business units (in the South African provinces Northern, Kwa-Zulu-Natal, and Western Cape); its Animal Feed Division; and the value-added business.
Among the leading brands from the Chicken Division are Rainbow, Rainbow Ready2Go, Rainbow FlavourBurst, Rainbow Simply Chicken and Farmer Brown.
Poultry products are in the categories fresh, standard (individually quick-frozen parts; IQF), frozen specialized cuts, chilled processed meats (including polony) and a range of crumbed freezer-to-fryer chicken products (such as nuggets).
The group’s products are sold through a range of sales channels: quick-service restaurants (QSR); retail & wholesale (RWS); hotels, restaurants and catering (HORECA); industrial re-processed and retail prepared.
In the 2025 financial year, total sales amounted to 384,834 metric tons (mt). Of this volume, prime frozen accounted for 32%, IQF for 26%, and fresh for 20%.
By sales channel, 63% of sales were through RWS, and 29% to QSR.
Profile of the group’s feed business
Rainbow’s Animal Feed Division produced more than 962,000mt of feed during the last 12 months. Internal sales accounted for 73% of the total, and external poultry sales for a further 18%.
Its brands include Epol, which specializes in poultry and horse diets, and Driehoek, which is best known for its game and ruminant ranges. However, both brands offer a range of feeds for a range of species.
More on Rainbow Chicken Ltd
Annual slaughterings of 197 million chickens puts Rainbow Chicken in second place among Africa’s largest poultry meat producers, according to the WATT Poultry Top Poultry Companies survey (2023).
Formerly the poultry division of RCL Foods, Rainbow Chicken reached agreement to unbundle the poultry business from the parent company in 2021, listing independently on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in June of 2024.
For the first six-month period since listing, the company reported it was already making good progress on its business transformation.
In September of 2025, the company reported the appointment of Busisiwe Mavuso as a non-executive director, and member of the Audit and Risk Committee, effective October 1, 2025.
