The numbers behind Johann Rupert’s mayonnaise giant will surprise you

Johannesburg – South African food producer RCL Foods is producing about 227,000 jars of mayonnaise a day, highlighting the enormous scale of its Nola brand, which remains one of the country’s leading mayonnaise products.

According to Daily Investor, Nola is one of RCL Foods’ R1-billion-plus revenue brands. The publication reported that the company’s 2026 fact sheet showed Nola held a 41.5% volume share of South Africa’s mayonnaise market in the 12 months to June 2026.

The figures were also reported by Billionaires.Africa, which said RCL Foods disclosed the 227,000-jars-a-day production figure in its 2026 annual fact sheet. The output equates to more than 9 million jars over 40 days.

“Nola has become one of RCL Foods’ most valuable brands, generating more than R1 billion in annual revenue. The company’s latest figures also show that Nola held a 41.5 percent volume share of South Africa’s mayonnaise market in the 12 months to June 2026, although that was down from 42.6 percent a year earlier,” the report said.

It added: “The production scale means RCL Foods is making more than 9 million jars of mayonnaise in a typical 40-day period. Its broader food portfolio includes brands such as Sunbake, Selati, Pieman’s, Yum Yum, Bobtail, Ouma and Catmor.”

Much loved and widely reognised brand 

Nola was acquired by RCL Foods in 2013 through its purchase of Foodcorp and has since become a major brand in its grocery portfolio. RCL Foods describes Nola as a “much-loved and widely recognised brand” in South African households.

The brand’s strong performance comes despite a difficult financial year for its parent company. RCL Foods reported revenue of R24.5 billion for the year ended June 2026, down 4.1%, while headline earnings per share fell 32.8% to 105.1 cents.

Business Day reported that the company’s underlying headline earnings from continuing operations fell 27.1%, with its sugar and pet-food businesses weighing on results. However, its Culinary and Baking operations delivered comparatively stronger performances.

RCL Foods has attributed some of its earnings pressure to cheap sugar imports. In its trading statement, the company said high volumes of deep-sea imports had displaced local sugar sales and pushed more production into lower-priced export markets.

Despite the broader pressure, Nola remains a key part of RCL Foods’ branded strategy. The dressings category, anchored by Nola, recorded volume growth during the year, while Nola was among the Culinary brands that maintained market share and category leadership.

RCL Foods said continued marketing investment was being used to “strengthen and protect brand equity” and build long-term pricing power for its major brands.

RCL Foods is backed by billionaire Johann Rupert, whose investment company Remgro holds a 79.5% stake in the food producer.