Twenty-two years after leading veterinarian Dr Peter Oberem founded Afrivet in South Africa, the animal health distributor was acquired by Bimeda, a global veterinary pharmaceutical and animal health specialist.
Oberem, who is also a well-known game farmer, confirmed the Bimeda acquisition of Afrivet Southern Africa, saying that it will greatly strengthen its product and service offering to the benefit of all stock and pet owners.
In 2021, the Pretoria-based Afrivet generated more than R416 million. The company also has operating divisions in Zambia and Mozambique, which are included in the acquisition. This is set to provide Bimeda with the largest footprint of any animal health company on the African continent.
In a media release, Afrivet says that Bimeda has a long-established presence in Africa, with Bimeda products being sold on the continent for four decades already. Afrivet will become part of Bimeda’s Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific division, which is headquartered in Kenya with subsidiaries in Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
“Independent surveys show that Afrivet is highly respected as a leading animal health brand in the region,” says Oberem. “I have known Bimeda for more than 32 years and I have always admired how similar their and our business philosophies are. I am truly excited about the future of our company.”
The acquisition is the latest activity under Bimeda’s ongoing expansion programme which has seen the company both increase its geographic footprint and enter new industry sectors in recent years.
In the past five years alone, Bimeda has entered into the aquaculture and vaccine sectors via acquisitions in the United States, set up a greenfield organisation in Denmark, constructed and commissioned a sterile injectable facility in China, and established a global innovation centre in Ireland.
Oberem says when he originally gave birth to Afrivet he envisioned an animal health company which would provide for the unique needs of southern African farmers and animal owners. Since, Afrivet has become one of the leading players in the market.
Commenting on the acquisition, Bimeda’s chief executive for the Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific division, Ronan Smith, says, “We have long admired the Afrivet business. It offers both an extensive product portfolio and technical service offerings. This acquisition will see Bimeda transition from being the largest player in East Africa, to having the biggest footprint of any animal health company across the entire continent.”
Bimeda products are currently distributed in over eighty countries globally with the group operating eleven manufacturing facilities, across eight countries, nine research and development centres and three diagnostic laboratories.
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