Civil society groups are urging key role players in the South African egg industry to reject what they say are ‘cruel and unsustainable systems, such as battery cages, and to make independent, ethical business choices’.
More than one billion chickens are killed annually in the South African poultry industry, and in excess of 27 million hens are used as egg layers, with 86% of these hens confined in battery cages, unable to live naturally.
Now civil society groups are urging key role players in the South African egg industry to reject what they say are “cruel and unsustainable systems, such as battery cages, and to make independent, ethical business choices”, according to the Eggsposure Campaign launched in March 2025.
The campaign calls for transparency and accountability from the food industry in South Africa, specifically, the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA).
In a Daily Maverick interview, Zwelisha Shobede, Cage-Free Coordinator at the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI), said the aim of the campaign is to get all relevant stakeholders to address unsustainable practices. This includes moving towards free-range egg production and creating policies such as labelling how eggs are produced so the consumer can make informed decisions.
According to FoodPrint, while cage egg production may seem environmentally efficient due to factors such as manure management and feed efficiency, “the overall environmental impact of cage-free eggs is often lower, with cage-free systems requiring less land and water, and having lower carbon footprints.”
Cage-free farming also provides a healthier, more natural environment for hens because they have a diverse diet, eating grasses, seeds and insects.
The campaign, led by the SAFCEI and Animal Law Reform South Africa (ALRSA), claims CGCSA’s actions “obstruct civil society engagement, suppress consumer and constitutional rights, hinder transparency, and support cruel and outdated systems — such as battery cages for egg-laying hens.
“South Africans, including faith communities and ethical consumers, are calling for change,” says Shobede.
“Battery cages are not just cruel — they are unnecessary. The industry needs to be prepared to listen to the growing demand for humane, transparent, and sustainable food systems,” Shobede added.
‘Blocking’ public transparency
Activist groups accuse the council of “blocking transparency by withholding critical industry research from the public”. They also accused the council of “silencing NGOs through intimidation tactics and misleading narratives and perpetuating cruelty by protecting battery cage farming instead of advocating for humane alternatives”.
The organisations argue that the council suppresses consumer choice by preventing the public from making informed, ethical food decisions.
Amy P Wilson, Acting Executive Director of Animal Law Reform South Africa, said that “civil society organisations play a crucial role in South Africa’s constitutional dispensation in ensuring the protection of rights, freedoms and justice for all.
“Powerful industry bodies such as the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) claim to espouse values such as ‘integrity, excellence and accountability’, yet have adopted an obstructive and harmful approach when it comes to efforts by civil society organisations to transform cruel and unsustainable practices in the egg industry.”
Wilson said “civil society will not be intimidated into silence. The public deserves the truth, and we demand accountability.”
The Eggsposure Campaign is also directed at consumer education to help consumers “demand transparency and accountability from stakeholders in the egg supply chain, including businesses, industry representatives, and policymakers,” said Shobede.
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There was outrage on social media late in 2024 when a Carte Blanche investigation on a fly-infested battery chicken farm was broadcast and went viral.
Activist organisations penned an open letter to the CGCSA on 27 February 2025 that outlines that they found the council unwilling to engage and alleged that its actions are an effort to suppress and harm civil society and NGO engagement. They detailed previous efforts to communicate and advocate for change.
The CGCSA is an industry association representing more than 9,000 member companies in the consumer goods, retail and services sectors.
Their set of requests included that the CGCSA:
Promote consumer and constitutional rights and values, including those which assist with informed choice and promote the protection of the environment;
Foster accountability by retracting problematic statements and promoting open dialogue;
Refrain from engaging in potentially collusive practices by acting independently in the best interests of members without undue influence from other industry bodies; and
Engage effectively with the public and concerned organisations and encourage effective engagement by members, including through appropriate multi-stakeholder fora.
The CGCSA, in its response to questions from Daily Maverick, alluded to the campaign being misdirected. “We believe the campaign must engage with the Department of Agriculture Land and Rural Development.” The CGSA said it is not withholding research: “It will be recalled that this is not a CGCSA study.”
When asked if it is aware of the campaign and if the council aims to engage these civil society organisations, CGCSA stated: “While we are aware, it’s not our scope.”
Some of the points highlighted in the campaign include labelling all eggs with how they were produced. Daily Maverick asked if there are plans or discussions within the CGCSA and other relevant stakeholders to apply this labelling. The council replied that “this is a regulated space and the sector follows regulations”.
When asked if the council engaged the industry on regulations, ethical egg production and best practices, CGCSA argued that the South African Poultry Association would be best placed to comment on this as “CGCSA has minimal egg producer members (one, to be specific). It must be stressed, however, that CGCSA is a voluntary organisation and has no mandate to mandate its members to adopt any practice.”
