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Lucky Star

South Africa's dominant canned-pilchard brand — the 400g can of pilchards in tomato sauce is a national staple protein. Owned by JSE-listed Oceana Group, canned at St Helena Bay and Laaiplek on the West Coast (with contract canning at Etosha Fishing in Walvis Bay, Namibia). The label says only 'pilchards (fish)': with the local Sardinops sagax resource depleted, Oceana's CEO has confirmed roughly 80% of Lucky Star's raw fish is now sourced outside South Africa.

At a glance

Notable facts

• Oceana's CEO confirmed (News24, May 2026) that around 80% of Lucky Star's raw fish is sourced outside South Africa; the exact percentage is single-sourced but directionally consistent with Oceana's own claim to be 'the world's largest procurer of frozen pilchards' and 2016 import reporting.
• South African can labels legally state only 'pilchards (fish)' with no Latin species name — the local catch is Sardinops sagax, but imported frozen fish (including Sardina pilchardus from Morocco, with Thailand also cited as a source in 2016) makes up the majority of raw material, so the species in any given can is variable.
• In 2016 the local pilchard quota met less than 50% of demand; Oceana imported frozen pilchards from Morocco and Thailand for processing at St Helena Bay and spent R10m upgrading the Laaiplek plant to handle frozen fish.
• In 2025-26 Oceana temporarily consolidated its canneries (Amawandle staff moved to St Helena Bay) after the full South African pilchard quota was caught out; promotions were suspended in May 2026 as supply tightened, while the CEO said the Namibian biomass was 'coming back strongly'.
• Historically the market leader with roughly 70%+ share of South African canned pilchards.
• Part of Lucky Star production is contract-canned by Etosha Fishing in Walvis Bay, Namibia.

Behind the tin

Lucky Star is packed at Lucky Star Cannery — St Helena Bay in St Helena Bay, South Africa.

contract of Lucky Star are packed at Etosha Fishing Cannery — Walvis Bay, Walvis Bay — not the brand's whole range.

Certain Lucky Star SKUs are packed at Lucky Star Cannery — Laaiplek, Laaiplek — not the brand's whole range.

primary of Lucky Star are packed at Lucky Star Cannery — St Helena Bay, St Helena Bay — not the brand's whole range.

The brand is owned by Oceana Group.

Products

Evidence & uncertainties

Overall sourcing confidence for this profile: ✓ verified — corroborated by two or more sources.

Species — Variable / unknown: Species varies by catch or is unverified; no reliable single value. This brand spans more than one species across its range; the per-product species above are the precise picture.