A snail farm near Swakopmund aims to boost sustainable protein production and break into the European food and cosmetics markets.
A 38ha piece of land in the Namib Desert is the site of Africa’s first fully climate-controlled, large-scale snail production facility, called NamSnails. CEO André Mouton says the company aims to establish a new standard for the industry.
Mouton gained experience in the livestock industry as a marketing manager at Meatco, a Namibian meat-processing company. While snails may seem vastly different from cattle, they are a versatile source of protein that can be farmed in a small area, he says.
A recent report by the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) in Poland highlights why snail farming is in step with the times. Global population growth is outpacing food production and traditional livestock farming is hurting the environment. As a result, farmers are exploring alternatives such as breeding edible snails.
Snails are nutritious, easy to farm and eco-friendly, requiring less space and feed and producing lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional livestock.
NamSnails project promoter and entrepreneur Ori Wettenstein originally planned to establish a snail farm in Israel, but strict regulations made it unviable. Contacts in South Africa led him to Laudian Investment Holdings, based in Pretoria, which agreed to support the initiative.
“This investment was made alongside various other investors, including Lithon, a leading engineering firm in Namibia, under the condition that it be established as a Namibian initiative,” says Mouton.
Land was acquired near Swakopmund in 2022. Financing was secured and intellectual property was bought from snail breeding and trading company Touchstone, based in Cyprus. The agreement included an offtake arrangement and guidance on effective snail farming methods. In Southern Africa, snail farming is typically practised on a small scale.
NamSnails plans to change this. “We are about to transform sustainable protein agriculture in Africa. Our hatchery produces up to 1-million snails per week, with full capacity reaching 2-million,” Mouton says.
Laudian CEO Chris van Zyl says: “We identified geographical areas outside South Africa where we wanted to invest. Initially, we considered Namibia, and based on our study, the stability and sustainability prospects for investments … appeared promising.
“Key infrastructure includes transport and power supply, especially regarding the movement of our product within the country and its export. Namibia is geographically vast but has a small population, which also has its advantages.
“A significant drawback is the lack of an experienced labour market, until we find a solution to provide people with the necessary skills.”
According to Global Market Insights, the global snail market was valued at $647m in 2024 and is projected to reach $1.4bn by 2034, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5%. Growth is driven by rising consumer awareness of the use of snails in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food and agriculture — due to their high protein content and health benefits.
The Asia Pacific region leads the market, followed by France, Spain and Italy, while North America and Eastern Europe are emerging markets for snail-derived products.
Mouton explains the production process, which starts with the arrival of imported breeder snails from Greece and Georgia. These go into the breeding units; snails are hermaphrodites.
NamSnails farms Helix aspersa maxima — known to most of us as garden snails — and plans to expand with Helix aspersa muller, European garden snails. “This will provide us with greater flexibility to meet customer demand,” he says.
Mouton says 85%-90% of global snail production comes from wild harvesting, which is unsustainable. The rest is farmed, primarily through extensive systems that use netting and lack comprehensive climate control.
In contrast, NamSnails uses a hothouse method, which allows it to farm snails year-round. “Our controlled environment allows for a shortened growing period, making it possible to have nearly two growing seasons per year,” he says.
Once the snails reach market size, they are harvested and prepared for hibernation to enhance shelf life. “We start by purging them, removing their food and lightly misting them with water over two days to clear their digestive systems. Then we place them in a semi-dry, ventilated environment where they begin to hibernate, sealing themselves in their shells. In this state, they can survive for up to two years, allowing us to export them alive.”
Van Zyl says Laudian has invested R131m in the project to date. “We gradually increased our shareholding to 58%.”
The European culinary market is our main focus, with the cosmetic market developing at a fast pace
— André Mouton
The business opened in 2022, but the journey has been far from smooth. At first glance, Swakopmund, with its average temperature of 22°C, seemed perfect for snail farming. However, when the temperature drops too low, snails become lethargic and may even die.
Snails require an optimal temperature range of 15°C-25°C. Outside this range, they either eat less, which inhibits growth, or begin to hibernate. The first year’s harvest failed due to extreme weather.
Says Van Zyl: “Through trial and error, we have now transitioned from three harvests in a three-year cycle to potentially conducting three harvests in a two-year cycle.”
Mouton was brought in a year ago to turn the project around, and introduced internally regulated climate control in the hothouses. “We are developing the protocol for Namibia in collaboration with veterinarians from the ministry of agriculture, fisheries, water & land reform. The standards we have established are more in line with practices in the beef and poultry industries than what one might typically expect from a snail farm.”
NamSnails has about 30 full-time employees, and during harvesting around 40 seasonal workers are employed. This includes veterinarian Andrea Klingelhoeffer, who specialises in health surveillance and disease monitoring. Additionally, specialists in food safety, environmental science, animal feed and construction are contracted to support the business.
NamSnails’ slogan is ambiguous: “Good things come slowly”. Perhaps too slowly — the company must now accelerate its offset markets, after a slow start.
“We are not exploring additional or alternative offset agreements within Europe,” says Van Zyl, “as our current offset partner is one of the major snail suppliers in the European market. It is a guaranteed offset agreement. Our focus will be on exporting to additional markets outside Europe, specifically in Asia — China for the edible snail sector and Japan for the cosmetics sector. Additionally, we will target the US and Canada, for both edible products and cosmetics, as well as some industrial applications.”
A long-term perspective, as outlined in the SGGW’s report, highlights several supporting facts. The global human population is expected to reach 9-billion by 2050. According to estimates from the Food & Agriculture Organisation, food production needs to increase by 70%. The primary challenge of food producers is the production of protein, particularly animal protein, as demand for it continues to rise.
Mouton says the opportunities are limitless. “The luxury market for snail caviar offers additional economic potential. The European culinary market is our main focus, with the cosmetic market developing at a fast pace.” Snail mucus (mucin) is used in cosmetics, a practice pioneered in South Korea and rooted in ancient rejuvenation remedies.
According to the SGGW’s report, snail mucin is highly valued for its antibacterial properties and ability to reduce wrinkles and enhance the skin’s elasticity and hydration.
A recent report by Coherent Market Insights states that the global snail beauty products market was valued at $556m in 2022 and is expected to reach $1.2bn by 2030, with a CAGR of 10.47%.
Van Zyl says they are considering expanding the farm to add a manufacturing plant. “This will enable us to host the snails and bottle or can them ourselves into a final product, before selling directly to wholesalers or distributors in the European market.”
Additionally, studies are being conducted in the medical field, he says. “Researchers are discovering that certain medicinal properties [derived from snails and their slime] could prove beneficial in specific medications.”
Van Zyl says they are bullish about the approaching first harvest. “I am positive we can still achieve a net profit of more than R180m annually when we reach full capacity, based on our current budget and forecast.”
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