MALU Pork enhances traceability with Matrix Software
Food traceability is high on South Africa’s agricultural agenda, due to its crucial role in ensuring food safety, supporting market access, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Speaking at the 2025 Red Meat Abattoir Association conference, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuizen emphasised its critical role by stating, “In an age of digital consumerism and heightened public awareness, transparency is no longer an option – it is essential…
If we don’t have a proper traceability system in South Africa, that is credible and that has the buy-in from the majority of the sector, we are going to lose international market share.”
It’s clear that, for producers, traceability is no longer just about compliance. It directly affects their ability to supply major retailers and remain competitive.
Pork meets precision
As the largest pork producer in the Free State and Northern Cape, MALU Pork needed a system that could support end-to-end traceability. Their long-standing technology partner, Matrix Software, proved the ideal fit.
“Malu Pork was established in 1969, and over the years we’ve grown and evolved as our needs changed. We control the full value chain of production – from farm to fork. This led to us building our own deboning facility in Kimberley, where we started production in January 2017”, says Alwina van Zyl, Director at Malu Pork.
Solving challenges across the value chain
MALU Pork uses Matrix Software’s abattoir and deboning modules, thereby implementing tailored functionality in each stage of the production process to achieve full traceability, improve operational control, and ensure compliance with industry standards.
“Traceability is a cornerstone of quality in our industry, and our software system plays a vital role in upholding this standard. By enabling full product traceability, it ensures we consistently deliver on one of our core values: quality.
The system also enhances stock management through individualised barcoding, which streamlines monitoring of stock age and expiry dates, helping us maintain product integrity while safeguarding the business’s financial health”, says van Zyl.
As part of the abattoir module, MALU Pork uses Matrix Software to manage grading through the PORCUS method, a South African system that classifies pork carcasses by lean meat content and backfat thickness.
“Based on the grading, we generate fully integrated settlement statements that ensure farmers are paid fairly per carcass,” explains Rudi Marx, Client Relationship Specialist at Matrix Software. “There’s no need for additional invoicing, and the turnaround time from slaughter to settlement is significantly faster thanks to automation.”
Marx continues, “The software also supports carcass ageing, stock rotation, and cold mass calculations (CCM), which are critical tools for maintaining accurate financial figures and stock valuation.”
Matrix Software’s deboning module enables MALU Pork to maintain detailed traceability from carcass to client, while optimising efficiency and accuracy. “We’ve implemented customised labels containing client-specific information to meet retailer requirements,” says Marx. “The system improves yield control, stock management, and the overall efficiency of the deboning process, thus helping ensure each cut is accounted for and every order is fulfilled accurately.”
The module also incorporates block testing, recipe management, dispatch, order processing, picking, reporting, and a fully integrated financial system.
Matrix Software enables backwards and forward traceability from the farmer through to the final product, which is critical for food safety and maintaining trust in retailers.
“MALU Pork uses Matrix Software across their operations, ranging from production to finance. They were also our first client to implement the Pork 360 grading update to meet the latest SAMIC regulations,” Marx adds.
Looking ahead
Matrix Software is known for their partnership approach and practical system that was built from the factory floor up. This system is tailored to meet the current challenges faced by their clients.
“Our focus remains on solutions that are robust and aligned with our clients’ operational goals,” says Marx. “As the meat industry evolves, having adaptable and integrated systems are essential. We’re proud to support MALU Pork in their journey.”
Says van Zyl, “Good partnerships are crucial to a successful business, and for us Matrix Software is the all-in-one solution. We trust that our relationship with Matrix Software will continue well into the future.”
