Astral Foods’ 20 Keys Conference brought together leaders and teams from across the business to share practical experiences of operational excellence, continuous improvement, and the results being achieved through 20 Keys.
Nikki Moodley, Operations Improvement Executive: Astral Foods
Celebrating the journey to operational excellence
Nikki Moodley opened the conference and facilitated the programme, drawing together the key messages and takeaways from each session.
What stood out throughout the day was that excellence is not a once-off project. It is built through strong foundations, disciplined execution, capable people, collaboration and a relentless focus on improvement.
From leadership and business transformation to technology, operational mastery and value-chain integration, the presentations demonstrated how 20 Keys has become part of the way Astral works.
ODI was delighted to be part of a day that celebrated not only achievements, but the people, ideas and commitment behind Astral’s continuous improvement journey.
Gary Arnold, Chief Executive Officer: Astral Foods
Excellence as part of the way we do business
Gary Arnold opened the speaker programme by reflecting on the role of operational excellence in Astral’s business.
A particularly strong message was the responsibility to remain mindful of cost while fulfilling Astral’s purpose of producing affordable protein.
Gary reflected on how excellence has been part of Astral’s DNA for many years, with 20 Keys providing a structured approach that helps maintain focus and discipline.
He also emphasised collaboration, teamwork and communication across the organisation, and the responsibility of today’s leaders to eventually hand the business over to the next generation in good condition.
A fitting start to a day focused on sustainable excellence.
Keynote Speaker, Gavin Sharples
Own it. Learn. Grow. Keep moving forward.
Keynote speaker Gavin Sharples brought a very different energy to the conference, challenging delegates to consider the role each individual plays in creating change.
His message centred strongly on personal accountability: lift your head, take ownership and do not allow yesterday’s experiences or limiting beliefs to determine what happens next.
He encouraged people to remain curious, keep learning and continue trying, because innovation and improvement depend on people who are prepared to think differently and act.
A lively reminder that operational excellence ultimately begins with individuals who are prepared to take responsibility for making things better.
Johan Benadie, Director of ODI
The Architecture of Excellence: Driving Improvement by Perfecting Basics
Johan Benadie focused on the foundations that make continuous improvement sustainable.
At the heart of the presentation was Kaizen – continuous improvement through small, ongoing changes – supported by disciplined processes, strong fundamentals and, in Johan’s words, “absolute respect for people, machines and products.”
He also emphasised the importance of visibility on the floor. Leaders need to be present where the work happens, understand what people experience every day and ensure that their leadership style is appropriate to the situation and the people they are working with.
“When you walk through the workplace, what message do your movements leave behind?”
The challenge is not simply to manage activity, but to energise the workplace – creating an environment where people, machines and products are treated with respect and where improvement becomes part of everyday work.
A strong reminder that operational excellence starts with the basics, but is sustained through Kaizen, respect, visibility and leadership behaviour.
To read more about Johan Benadie’s ‘The Architecture of Excellence: Driving Improvement by Perfecting Basics‘, please click here.
Hannes Uys, Chief Operating Officer of National Chicks
The Journey to Excellence
Hannes Uys shared National Chicks’ journey towards operational excellence.
He described excellence not as a destination, but as a dynamic journey built through small, deliberate steps.
The journey has moved through building strong foundations and alignment, developing innovation and capability, embedding excellence into everyday habits, and working towards optimisation and sustainability.
Across every stage, one element remains central: people.
Having the right people, creating a sense of belonging, encouraging involvement and building a common language of excellence are essential if improvement is to become part of everyday work rather than another initiative.
His presentation showed how people, purpose and performance ultimately come together.
James Berry, Chief Operating Officer of County Fair
Business Transformation in a Fast-Paced Environment
James Berry shared insights from the County Fair turnaround and the realities of transformation in a complex, fast-paced production environment.
As volumes and complexity increase, operations need the right systems, technology and capability to consistently deliver the right product, to the right customer, at the right time.
James highlighted the role of lead and lag measures, structured daily management, dashboards and disciplined execution in keeping improvement focused.
One particularly useful principle was the need to identify where change can make the greatest impact – and then maintain the focus required to execute it.
Transformation requires investment and technology, but equally important is the discipline to turn plans into results.
Minziwe Majula, Financial Manager for Tiger Animal Feeds and Tiger Chicks
Unlocking the Engines of Excellence – Improvement Projects
Given Minziwe Majula demonstrated how continuous improvement can extend well beyond the factory floor.
Her presentation considered waste in the office and how finance and administrative environments can actively participate in the 20 Keys journey through a focus on people, process and digital innovation.
Regular 20 Keys discussions, cross-functional involvement, visibility and accountability help teams identify opportunities for improvement and act on them.
The message was an important one: operational excellence is not confined to production. Every process offers opportunities to reduce waste, work smarter and improve the value delivered by the organisation.
Neil Dominy, Chief Operating Officer of Central Analytical Laboratories | Gerhard Pretorius, Nutrition Executive at Astral Foods’ Centre of Excellence | Dr. Frankus Visagie, Group Veterinary Manager
Applied Research Supported by Modern Laboratory Techniques
Neil Dominy, Gerhard Pretorius, and Frankus Visagie demonstrated the role that applied research and modern laboratory technology play in continuous improvement.
Their presentation highlighted the importance of depth of knowledge, speed and accuracy of processing, reliable results and continual technological development.
The laboratory environment provides information on which important operational decisions depend, making quality and reliability fundamental.
Their session also reinforced an important improvement principle: technology provides powerful capability, but it is the combination of knowledge, systems and continuous improvement that ultimately creates value.
Panel Discussion
Excellence through Operational Mastery
Mark Surendorff, Chief Operating Officer: Meadow Feeds – Central Region, led a practical panel discussion with Marno Lacock, Ravi Naidoo and Storm Sanderson on Meadow Feeds’ experience of operational excellence.
The discussion showed how 20 Keys help to build ownership and involvement, encouraging people to identify problems, suggest solutions and understand how their work affects the bigger picture.
The panel spoke about making ideas visible, recognising success and moving from reactive practices towards greater ownership – including operators taking a more proactive role in equipment care.
Another strong message was around measurement: do not simply chase the number; understand what drives it.
Keep the principles simple, involve people early and make improvement part of the way the operation works.
Isabella Moremi, Hatchery Operations Manager at Festive, and Madelein Truter, Broiler Operations Manager at County Fair
Excellence through Integration of the Internal Value Chain
Isabella Moremi and Madelein Truter shared their improvement journey around PEF and hatchability.
Their experience demonstrated the importance of identifying challenges early, measuring performance and working collaboratively across the internal value chain.
Over several years, stronger partnerships, disciplined execution and continuous improvement have contributed to sustained results, with structured improvement cycles supporting the process.
Better visibility enables faster responses – but the real strength comes from people in different parts of the value chain working together towards the same result.
It was an excellent practical example of 20 Keys extending beyond individual departments to improve the performance of the whole system.
Astral Awards Ceremony
Recognising Achievement Across Astral
The Astral 20 Keys Conference concluded with an awards ceremony, recognising teams and operations across the Group for their achievements and progress on their continuous improvement journey.
The awards were presented by senior Astral leaders:
- Robert Roszkopf – Managing Director: Agriculture, Astral Foods
- Kenny Schoeman – Poultry Processing Director, Astral Foods
- Herman Nienaber – Chief Operating Officer, Meadow Feeds – Zambia
- Hugo Buys – Acting Managing Director, Meadow Feeds
This fitting recognition highlights the commitment, teamwork, and continuous improvement demonstrated across Astral’s operations.
Pictured below is Gary Arnold with the winners in various categories:
Nontobeko Radebe: Ross, Mount West
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Francois Pretorius: County Fair Agri
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Vernon Webb, County Fair, Hocroft
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James Berry, County Fair Commercial
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Tiaan Auret: Meadow Feeds, Paarl
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Dennis Mbambo: Agric Division, National Chicks
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Chama Kalamba: Zambia, Tiger Chicks
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Brutus Thangoane (Meadow Feeds, Delmas), Ravi Naidoo (Meadow Feeds, Standerton), Pieter Smith (Festive Agric)
INTERNATIONAL 20 KEYS EXCELLENCE AWARD – NATIONAL CHICKS
A special highlight of the Astral 20 Keys Conference was the presentation of the International Excellence Award to National Chicks’ Ashburton and Cornfields farms.
The award recognises sustained operational excellence rather than a once-off achievement. It reflects strong systems, capable people, effective processes and consistent performance over time.
Achieving this level requires a rigorous review process and evidence that the required standards have been reached and sustained. The award therefore represents an important achievement by the teams at both farms and their ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.
Esbe du Toit from ODI presented the award on behalf of ODI and PDI Japan
Hannes Uys, Chief Operating Officer of National Chicks
Duncan Watson, Systems Manager, National Chicks
To read more about Astral’s 2022 Conference: “20 Keys helps to mitigate business risk, supports efficiency improvements & business strategy”, click here.
