Yalelo Uganda

Yalelo Uganda (legally Yalelo Uganda SMC Limited) is a leading aquaculture company and the largest producer of tilapia in Uganda. Established in 2019, it is a subsidiary of the Netherlands-based FirstWave Group B.V.. The company operates a large-scale, vertically integrated business model, covering the entire lifecycle from hatcheries to its own retail and wholesale network.

• Production & Scale: As of early 2026, the company operates one of Africa's largest cage-aquaculture facilities on Lake Victoria. Its infrastructure includes 19 onshore ponds and 52 grow-out cages.

• Annual Volume: While sales volumes were recorded at 8,400 tonnes per year in early 2025, the company has ambitious long-term plans to scale toward 30,000 tonnes annually.

• Vertically Integrated Cold Chain: Yalelo manages its own fleet of refrigerated trucks and retail stores, ensuring "farm-to-table" freshness and traceability.

• Sustainable Practices: The company follows a "fresh for today" philosophy (Yalelo means "today" in local Bantu languages) and does not use growth hormones, chemicals, or preventive antibiotics.

• Social Impact & Employment: Yalelo employs over 650 permanent staff and has partnered with the Private Sector Foundation (PSFU) and Mastercard Foundation to create thousands of work opportunities for youth and women in the fish value chain.

• Current Leadership: The company is currently led by Eric de Vaan (CEO) as of 2026.