Eskort Appoints Lactalis Executive Herman Janse van Rensburg as Next Group CEO
Eskort Appoints Lactalis Executive Herman Janse van Rensburg as Next Group CEO. Eskort has appointed Herman Janse van Rensburg, currently general manager of Lactalis South Africa, as its next Group CEO, with the leadership change set to take effect on 1 March 2027.
Janse van Rensburg will join Eskort’s management team on 1 January 2027, beginning a two-month transition alongside outgoing CEO Arnold Prinsloo. Prinsloo will retire at the end of February after more than two decades with the business.
The appointment was announced by First Food Brands, which owns and operates Eskort.
Janse van Rensburg has spent 16 years with Lactalis South Africa, where he progressed through roles including financial manager, management control positions, business unit leadership and operations before becoming general manager in July 2023.
His experience covers financial, operational and commercial areas within the food industry. Lactalis South Africa operates a national dairy manufacturing and distribution network employing approximately 2,700 people.
Eskort board chair Gerard Braak said Janse van Rensburg’s experience would support the company’s manufacturing, retail and product development plans.
Prinsloo joined Eskort as chief operating officer before being appointed CEO on 1 July 2007. During his tenure, the company expanded its manufacturing capacity, developed a portfolio of more than 300 antibiotic-free pork products and increased its branded retail network to 31 stores across eight provinces.
Eskort operates manufacturing facilities in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, and Heidelberg, Gauteng. The business has a 109-year history and operates within South Africa’s pork sector.
Braak credited Prinsloo with guiding Eskort through periods of growth and change and expressed the board’s appreciation for his contribution.
Janse van Rensburg said he intends to build on Eskort’s established position while continuing to respond to changing consumer needs.
The leadership transition will formally conclude on 28 February 2027, which will be Prinsloo’s final day with the company. Janse van Rensburg will assume the Group CEO position the following day, on 1 March 2027.
