About Abagold
Abalone, in Harmony with Nature
At the southernmost tip of Africa, Abagold cultivates the world's most desirable seafood in the pristine, cool waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Our Story
Who We Are
Abagold cultivates abalone in close harmony with nature at the southernmost tip of Africa. The cool, nutrient-rich waters of the Atlantic provide the ideal environment for abalone of the highest quality, and the species we farm — Haliotis midae, revered around the world — is unique to our coastline.
Abagold's origins date back to 1984, when the late Pierre Hugo began experimental work on abalone breeding, later establishing a pilot hatchery at the Old Harbour in Hermanus in 1991. At the time, no established methods existed for breeding abalone in captivity, and this early work focused on developing controlled, repeatable systems suited to on-land farming.
In 1992, Abagold was formally established on South Africa's Atlantic coast as the country's first commercial abalone farm. Building on the earlier research, the company developed on-land, tank-based farming systems using cold Atlantic seawater, enabling consistent growth, quality control, and traceability across the farming cycle.
Today, more than 40 years later, Abagold farms abalone on land and supplies live abalone and a range of abalone products to international markets.
“The Founding Fathers” — Paul Kruger, Dykie van Dyk, Pierre and Jane Hugo, Etienne Rossouw, Johannes Hamman
Leadership
Message from the MD
Marius Hugo
Managing Director
July 2025
Abagold is built on the belief that sustainable aquaculture can deliver both exceptional products and lasting impact. For over 30 years, we have cultivated premium abalone on the southern coast of Africa — earning a reputation for quality, innovation, and stewardship.
As Managing Director, I am honoured to lead a team that is deeply committed to operational excellence, environmental responsibility, and long-term value creation.
Our business operates in a complex and evolving global landscape — shaped by shifting markets, climate realities, and technological advancement. In response, we are strengthening our core operations while actively pursuing efficiencies, product innovation, and geographic diversification.
Our focus remains on what we do best: producing the world's most trusted farmed abalone through methods that respect nature, empower people, and deliver consistency to our global customers. We continue to invest in infrastructure, systems, and talent to improve resilience and ensure that Abagold remains globally competitive for decades to come.
Looking ahead, we are committed to unlocking growth through strategic partnerships, careful innovation, and disciplined execution — while staying true to our founding purpose: to protect a rare species, create meaningful jobs, and build a company South Africa can be proud of.
Thank you for your interest in Abagold. We look forward to what the future holds.
Manifesto
What Guides Us
“We farm in rhythm with the sea. These waters shape the quality of our abalone, while skilled, patient work ensures it is cultivated with care and respect.”
Our Values
Five Values, One Standard
Responsibility
Shapes how we create value for all stakeholders and how we steward what has been entrusted to us.
Respect
Underpins a collaborative workplace where people are valued for their contributions and supported to do their best work.
Integrity
Requires ethical leadership, active management, and accurate, professional reporting.
Quality
Fundamental to everything we do and produce.
Innovation
Drives continuous improvement through the constructive questioning of the status quo and the responsible use of new technologies to enhance efficiency and productivity.
Company Structure
From Hatchery to Market
Abagold comprises an abalone hatchery, four grow-out farms and a state-of-the-art canning and processing facility — supported by the people and services that keep them running, and by a company that invests in its employees' further education.
Hatchery
Decades of experience have allowed Abagold to perfect the process used in our world-class hatchery, built on four distinct nodes and using only premium selected wild abalone as broodstock. Fertilised eggs are hatched and nursed in the larval rearing area, settled animals feed on diatoms for their first months, and juveniles are weaned onto macro-algae in the nursery. The hatchery produces excess spat every month, so only the strongest, best-suited animals are selected for the superior final product Abagold is renowned for.
Grow-out Farms
Abalone is farmed on four aptly named farms in Hermanus: Sea View, Amaza (waves), Bergsig (mountain view) and Sulamanzi (clean water). Prime animals from the hatchery begin on Sea View, move to Amaza at intermediate size, and complete their growth on Bergsig — three farms comprising 13 hectares and 4,000 land-based tanks, requiring more than 10,000 tons of pumped seawater every hour. Sulamanzi houses as many animals as the other three combined, in nine isolated units for biosecurity.
Processing
Commissioned in August 2006, Abagold's own canning and processing facility has established itself as the quality benchmark for canned and dried abalone from South Africa. A comprehensive Quality Management System, including HACCP compliance, underwrites the high food safety standards our customers expect — while continuous product development refines sauces, brines and processing to enhance the delectable flavours and candy heart Abagold is renowned for.
Marketing & Sales
Abagold's marketing focus is on establishing and managing its premium brand in the international and domestic seafood markets, positioning its products at the very top end of these markets.
Technical
The technical team is responsible for the uninterrupted delivery of bulk services to all production units, the processing facility and head office. It is made up of qualified specialists, artisans and assistants, headed up by an engineer.
Support Functions
Abagold's head office ensures its more than 350 employees are well looked after, with qualified teams administering finance, training and human resources. Through Adult Based Education and Training (ABET) many employees have persevered with their studies to great success; NOSA-accredited health and safety training is presented in-house; and employees' health is cared for by a qualified sister in the company's own clinic.
Company Information
Abagold Limited
Abagold Limited is a South African public company headquartered in Hermanus, Western Cape.
Registration
Abagold Limited
Reg. No: 1995/070041/06
Company Secretary
PH Kubheka
Registered Office
Cnr of Church & Stil Rd
PO Box 1291, Hermanus, 7200
Tel: +27 (0) 28 313 0253
info@abagold.co.za
Auditors
BDO Cape Inc.
Bankers
ABSA Bank Limited
Transfer Secretary
Link Market Services South Africa (Pty) Limited
13th Floor, 19 Ameshoff Street, Braamfontein
PO Box 4844, Johannesburg, 2000
www.linkmarketservices.co.za
Taste the Standard We Set
Four decades of care, from our hatchery to your table. Discover live, canned and dried abalone raised in the cold Atlantic waters of Hermanus.
Shop Abalone