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ABF Sugar focuses on keeping its people safe, reducing its carbon footprint, and managing water and natural resources responsibly.
British Sugar colleagues in the control room at the Wissington sugar factory, UK.
At ABF Sugar, caring for people is a core value guiding all its businesses. Its Chief Executive leads a division-wide programme designed to ensure that everyone working for ABF Sugar returns home safely, every day, everywhere, with no compromises. It equips divisional leaders with the tools and knowledge needed to promote a robust and consistent safety culture. Managing directors of each business are accountable for their business's health and safety strategy and for integrating safety priorities into their strategic five-year plans.
It is with great sadness that we report the loss of four colleagues during the year as a result of fatal injuries connected to ABF Sugar work activities.
In Zambia, an employee was struck by a vehicle while crossing the road and a contractor was fatally injured while inflating a tyre of an agricultural vehicle. In Malawi a contractor was killed when a fire extinguisher exploded while being pressurised. In the UK, a contract delivery driver was fatally injured in a road traffic accident.
In-depth investigations have been carried out following these tragic cases. The findings have resulted in recommendations relating to pressure vessels, contractor management and change management. Their implementation is being tracked across the division.
Our number of employee on-site Lost Time Injuries (‘LTIs’) has increased from 66 in 2025 to 78 resulting in an employee on-site LTI rate of 0.27%. Similarly the same number for contractors increased from 30 in 2025 to 33.
After the sad events of the year ABF Sugar’s commitment remains strong with continued work on fatal risk management, safety leadership and safer workplaces in our operations.
In 2026, ABF Sugar businesses focused on three key areas: behavioural change through the Personal Choices programme expansion, ways of working and safety leadership.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employees | 44 | 43 | 57 | 66 | 78 |
| Employee rate | 0.14% | 0.15% | 0.21% | 0.21% | 0.27% |
The Personal Choices programme encourages individuals to reflect on how they assess and respond to risk, exploring the subconscious factors that influence decision making, including habit, time pressure and the gap between intention and behaviour. The Programme has been adopted by British Sugar, Illovo Sugar Malawi, Zambia Sugar and Illovo Sugar South Africa, with each business tailoring its approach to reflect local cultural contexts. At Illovo Sugar South Africa’s Eston operation, the Personal Choices programme continued to be implemented during 2026 through employee engagement and coaching activities. At British Sugar, a programme is being rolled out to review and reset safe systems of work across all its sites, supported by a new learning management system and activities designed to encourage discussion of safety concerns and working practices.
At Illovo Sugar South Africa's Sezela operation, the Vula Mehlo (‘open your eyes’) programme is engaging employees on health and safety through daily, safety-focused discussions that encourage open dialogue and shared ownership of safety across employees and contractors. In 2026, the programme was extended to additional operational areas with higher risk profiles to broaden its reach among employees undertaking safety-critical tasks.
Zambia Sugar continued to implement its behavioural safety programme, branded Busongo (meaning ‘wisdom’), at its Nakambala site. The programme encourages employees to reflect on daily decisions, empowering them to adopt safer behaviours through workshops and theatre performance.
All businesses also continued to focus on safety leadership and competency development. At Azucarera in Spain, the Leadership Evolution Programme supports the Executive Committee and Operations Directors in integrating health and safety considerations into corporate strategy and decision making. It focuses on individual action roadmaps covering communications, periodic meetings, site visits and other leadership activities.
At Illovo Sugar Malawi, 80 participants completed the Human Focus Safety Resilience Programme in 2026. This programme focused on building resilience and embedding safe work practices. This is a reflective process that helps build team dynamics and safer working environments.
For the second year in a row, British Sugar received six Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Gold Awards, showcasing the business's commitment to health and safety excellence across its manufacturing sites.
ABF Sugar businesses provide a range of health and wellbeing programmes for employees, their families and local communities designed to promote physical, emotional, mental, social and financial wellbeing.
Across its sugar businesses in Africa, primary healthcare and occupational health services are provided to colleagues and their families living on the estates, including pre-employment, periodic and exit medical examinations, lung function tests, hearing tests, biological monitoring and vision screening.
In 2026, Illovo Sugar Malawi continued the upgrade of the existing clinic at Dwangwa Estate into a fully equipped, 40‑bed hospital. The facility will include an expanded occupational health section, as well as an operating theatre, intensive care unit, paediatric unit, maternity unit, dental unit and ophthalmic unit. The hospital will also serve as the referral centre for eight government run clinics in the district.
In South Africa, the business has partnered with employee wellbeing service providers, Kaelo, to provide emotional, social and financial wellbeing services to employees.
ABF Sugar’s African operations continue to support women’s health through outreach clinics that provide regular cervical cancer screenings and prenatal care to remote communities, as well as partnerships with local NGOs to expand maternal and reproductive health services, including family planning. Within workplaces and surrounding areas, peer educator programmes are equipping women to serve as health champions. More than 30 health champions have been trained at Ubombo Sugar in Eswatini. Awareness and screening initiatives also target early detection of breast and cervical cancer. Women are taught how to perform breast self-examinations, complemented by clinical breast exams at healthcare facilities to ensure timely referrals and broader access to care. As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month activities, a mobile mammogram screening service was brought to the One Centre Durban office, providing convenient access to breast cancer screening for female employees and partners and dependent children of employees. Male employees also had access to prostate cancer screening, supporting the early detection and prevention of cancer. At Illovo Sugar Malawi, the Menstrual Health and Hygiene initiative was completed, reaching and training over 1,000 women.
Malaria control remains a public health issue in Africa. ABF Sugar’s African estates implement comprehensive prevention programmes, including health education and community outreach, distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to vulnerable groups and Indoor Residual Spraying in both staff and community housing. The aim is to significantly reduce malaria incidence. Zero or negligible cases are recorded across our estates in Zambia, Eswatini and Tanzania.
British Sugar has implemented several holistic wellbeing initiatives to support both office-based and site-based employees. In-person and remote health screenings have been trialled. A range of provisions are being delivered across all sites, with access to dedicated quiet rooms and wellbeing gardens. Additionally, CPR training is continuing, which aims to equip staff with the skills and confidence to intervene in life-saving situations. Financial support and advice is also available through an independent adviser to help employees manage their finances more effectively.
In 2026, Azucarera strengthened its wellbeing programmes by consolidating three key initiatives: a free physiotherapy service at its production sites to prevent and treat musculoskeletal issues, a gynaecological screening programme for women over 40, and a digital health platform for office employees offering resources on fitness, wellbeing, finance and nutrition.
ABF Sugar’s mental health initiatives continue to improve awareness and access to support services across its African operations. Employees are making use of available support channels, including self-referrals and peer-supported referrals. At British Sugar, all employees have access to trained Mental Health First Aiders at each site, as well as the Employee Assistance Programme and BUPA support services.
Employee housing on the Ubombo Sugar Estate in Eswatini
ABF Sugar's businesses in Africa have estates situated in rural and remote areas. They provide accommodation for many employees and their families, and each relevant business has a plan for investment.
In 2024, ABF Sugar began implementing its Housing and Living Standards Programme following a review of housing and living conditions across its sugar estates in Zambia, Malawi, Eswatini, South Africa and Tanzania. The review identified priority areas for improvement and where investment was needed.
Each relevant country team has a set of minimum standards informed by the ILO Recommendation No.115 on Workers’ Housing and other internationally recognised best practice.
The programme is divided into three streams of work:
ABF Sugar believes that diversity, equity and inclusion positively impacts business performance, innovation, talent attraction and retention, and employee wellbeing.
In 2026, ABF Sugar continued to strengthen its pipeline of women leaders across its businesses. Women accounted for 32% of its most senior appointments during the year, supported by initiatives to improve recruitment practices and address barriers to progression, including pay and development opportunities.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employees | 34664 | 30975 | 28679 | 27924 | 27696 |
| Percentage of Women | 22% | 20% | 21% | 20% | 20% |
In 2022, Illovo Sugar Malawi established a Women in Leadership Forum designed to support the recruitment, retention and advancement of women across the business. In 2026, the annual Women’s Conference brought together over 80 female leaders across Illovo Sugar Malawi to reinforce alignment with its DEI and Belonging agenda. Female representation in Malawian managerial roles increased from 16.5% in 2025 to 19% in 2026, reflecting its sustained focus on progression. In partnership with the Malawi University of Science and Technology, Illovo Sugar Malawi is supporting the Endowment Fund, which is focused on financial support for female science, technology, engineering and mathematics (‘STEM’) candidates.
At Azucarera, the implementation of its Equality Plan continued in 2026. The business renewed its commitment to the 'Fundación para la Diversidad', reaffirming its commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.
In Illovo Sugar South Africa over 100 management employees attended DEI awareness workshops, covering STEM and gender equality. ‘The Women's Circle’ platform continued to support women in the workplace through networking and development opportunities. The Masterclass for Disability Awareness learning programme also continued during 2026, combining training, workplace accessibility improvements and practical learning experiences to promote inclusion.
In 2026, British Sugar’s Inclusion and Diversity committee hosted numerous events, including a panel discussion for International Women’s Day and campaigns for Neurodiversity Week, Stress Awareness Month, Pride Month and Men’s Health Week.
ABF Sugar is dedicated to developing the skills and capabilities of its people, supporting career growth through targeted learning, leadership development and mobility initiatives that strengthen the future talent pipeline. Each business tailors its approach to reflect local needs, delivering learning interventions to build the critical capabilities needed to drive performance and future growth.
Within ABF Sugar there are a number of development programmes designed to support talents in the African sugar businesses. Its Manager in Training and Apprenticeship programmes are designed to build a strong pipeline of emerging talent to support the organisation’s long-term growth and sustainability for African business employees. These initiatives invest in early-career professionals, equipping them with critical skills to fill future business needs and succession roles. The Senior Management Development Programme is an 18‑month internal technical leadership development programme for current and emerging leaders in manufacturing and agriculture for African business employees.
British Sugar is continuing to invest in its employees through its First Line Leader Programme, designed for individuals stepping into or aspiring to achieve line leader roles, targeting critical role succession and first-line leadership capability.
Apprenticeships continue to be strategically important, particularly in developing leadership capability and strengthening critical role pipelines. Over 80% of apprentices still work for the business after 10 years. ABF Sugar is committed to developing the next generation of talent and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.
All businesses use different engagement techniques. For example, a new programme was introduced in 2026 for factory employees of our sugar businesses in Africa, providing them the opportunity to engage directly with a director or senior leader from another factory to discuss their aspirations and development opportunities.
Azucarera carried out a series of sessions called ‘Meaningful Encounters’ to support all employees following the restructuring process. The business also conducted an engagement survey across all sites in May 2026.
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An employee at Illovo Sugar Malawi's Nchalo estate has his blood pressure tested at the main factory clinic
Representatives from British Sugar sites and the Safety and Health team at the RoSPA Awards, UK
A British Sugar process team, two members of which are former apprentices, Wissington, UK
