For 25 years, Montego Pet Nutrition has been more than just a pet food company—it’s been a story of passion, perseverance, and the love of dogs and cats. What started as a leap of faith by founder Hannes Van Jaarsveld has transformed into a household name, feeding pets across Southern Africa and beyond.
But Montego’s success isn’t just measured in numbers—it’s seen in the drive of the people behind it, pet food that meets every family's needs with trust built in, and its commitment to giving back to the people of Africa in awesome ways. We’ll look at what they’re doing in our communities at the end of the article, so stick around!
This article examines important milestones in Montego’s journey. We’ll meet the inspiring family behind this hugely popular brand, and in between, you’ll find product descriptions of their major ranges: Classic, Monty & Me, Karoo, Bags o’ Wags, and Packs o’ Purrs. We don’t want to lose sight of the fact that it comes down to feeding our doggos and casters the very best.
I’ve fed my own dogs Monty & Me growing up and when my older dog became a senior citizen I switched her over to Classic Senior. They have consistently enjoyed their food over the years. Of course, I add Montego gravy and mix in wet food to add that Michelin Star taste they simply can’t do without. Luckily Montego has got them covered from the snack bars to dental treats. But I digress… Here’s how the story unfolds:
It All Began with a Leap of Faith
In 1998, Hannes Van Jaarsveld, a former audit firm partner, found himself at a crossroads. Frustrated with financial constraints faced by farmers, he stepped away from auditing and into a new challenge—joining Roller Mills as Financial Director. But when poor financial decisions sent the company spiralling toward collapse, Hannes took a bold step, securing Montego Feeds.
But Montego Feeds was already struggling. When Business Partners offered him the chance to take over the company, he had no cash reserves and was bound by a three-year clause preventing him from returning to auditing. Yet, Hannes leaned on his faith:
"All I had was my faith in the Lord that He would be by my side."
Determined to turn Montego around, Hannes reformulated its recipes, ensuring the food was both high-quality and affordable—two loyal customers prepaid in cash, allowing him to buy raw materials and fulfil his first orders. With just 11 employees, he built the business from the ground up, driven by hard work and a vision of the brand's future potential.
Today his dream has grown to include over 800 permanent staff and a team of Hannes and his three sons: Morné, Johan and Marco. Underpinning his success was always faith in God. And to this day as does the joy and satisfaction he feels when he hears how his customers’ dogs are thriving on Montego. Let’s take a look at the brand that started it all, Montego Classic.
Montego Classic: South Africa’s Best-Selling Premium Pet Food for Dogs & Cats
Launched on June 1, 2000, Montego Classic is a cost-effective, premium-quality pet food that has become a staple in South African homes. It now includes puppy (large and small breed), adult, and senior dog food, as well as the cat food range. In 2018, Montego introduced wet food under the Classic brand, expanding its product offerings. Known for its human-grade, locally sourced ingredients from South African farms, high production standards, and reliable quality, Classic delivers superior nutrition at an affordable price.
Montego Classic is formulated to meet the nutritional needs of dogs of all ages. Fortified with essential vitamins, and minerals, and a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, Montego Classic supports a healthy immune system, promotes healthy skin and coat, and helps to maintain a healthy weight. All of these benefits working together are a testament to the advanced technology sourced from leaders in pet food manufacturing. South Africans trust Montego Classic’s guarantee of world-class pet nutrition.
Morné Van Jaarsveld: A Hands-On Start & The Drive for Global Expansion
In 2003, Hannes knew he couldn’t build Montego alone. He needed dedicated, trusted hands, and his son Morné was the first to step in. For him, it was about rolling up his sleeves and building something great alongside his family.
With a background in Town and Regional Planning, Morné’s career seemed far from pet nutrition, yet he quickly found his place—handling HR, payroll, and finance while taking on sales, literally door-to-door. His plan of action was to “calculate the type and number of dogs of all the customers, calculate when they should buy a new bag and then he phoned them a day or two in advance to find out if I could deliver another bag,” This is how he brought his passion for the brand to bear; filled with drive and enthusiasm.
Armed with a VW Polo, Morné delivered Montego products himself, making multiple trips each night to fulfil orders. He loved those early days when decisions were made quickly, and everyone knew everyone. “Throughout my time at Montego, I also kept myself informed of all of the processes.” Regularly assisting where he could he became more and more involved in the administration of the business and stepped into the role of Administrative Manager in 2005.
Today, as Corporate Service Director, his focus has shifted outward—towards international expansion, particularly in the USA. While maintaining Montego’s family-driven culture he believes an entrepreneurial spirit is also the heartbeat of the company.
His dream? Sustainability. He envisions Montego not just as a business, but as a lasting force, supporting employees, families, and communities through continued growth. A big part of this growth was the creation of Monty & Me as an affordable option pet parents can trust to give their pets complete and balanced nutrition.
Monty & Me: Affordable, High-Quality Dog & Cat Food Loved by SA Pets
Introduced in 2014, Monty & Me is made with love delivering a variety of flavours in both dry and wet formats, this dog and cat food is designed to be nutritious with real meat such as chicken, beef, lamb, and fish, coupled with vegetables and grains. It is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals.
Monty & Me is made using the finest of these ingredients, in carefully calculated proportions and according to their original recipes – then cooked to perfection in Montego’s world-class factory.
Mm, mm I can see my two-year-old Labbie drooling and he’s not even reading this article – or maybe he is up late at night on my laptop reading about Monty & Me. We’ll never know for sure, but the upshot is that he’s given his paws up; I better get him a bowl quickly…
Some of the benefits of Monty & Me include:
• Nutritionally Balanced: Specially formulated to meet the nutritional needs of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds. Yip from prancing Poodles to athletic border Collies to goofy giant breeds Monty & Me have got them covered.
• Affordable: Quality nutrition doesn’t have to break the bank. Monty & Me offers great value for the price. It’s got supermarket brands beat paws down, a knockout punch!
• Variety of Flavours: From the pickiest eaters to the most adventurous palates dogs everywhere seem to love Monty & Me. Of course, for our feline overlords, Monty & Me offers them a choice of tuna or chicken.
• High-Quality Ingredients: Made with real meat, vegetables, and grains, ensuring wholesome nutrition.
Johan Van Jaarsveld: Building the Montego Brand & Strengthening Retail Loyalty
Johan officially joined in 2004, but he had already left his mark as a student, designing Montego’s first website. His background in Tourism and Recreation Management might have led him elsewhere, but instead, Like his brother Morné, Johan also put in the groundwork in the company’s early years.
Before taking on a leadership role, he spent time delivering samples to customers’ homes, building relationships with retailers, and helping to grow the brand from the ground up. He jumped into Montego’s sales and marketing, helping establish Montego’s brand presence across Southern Africa and beyond.
One of his toughest moments came during Montego’s first major factory upgrade, when demand far outpaced supply. Where others may have faltered Johan picked up the phone and personally called over 200 retailers, telling them deliveries were delayed by 25 weeks. But instead of frustration, he found loyalty—Montego’s customers believed in the brand and stood by them. A remarkable achievement in the face of potential disaster.
Today, as Managing Director, Johan’s vision is global expansion, ensuring Montego’s success outlasts his own lifetime. Through strong marketing, branding, and corporate responsibility and balancing growth with integrity, Johan has ensured that Montego remains a brand that customers can trust and employees can be proud of.
Some of his impact can be seen in Montego’s marketing milestones, including:
✅ First billboard in 2006 marking a new era of brand visibility.
✅ First TV commercial in 2012 reaching a nationwide audience.
✅ The Montego rebrand with a new logo modernising its image in 2019
✅ The launch of M Magazine in 2020, making Montego a thought leader in pet nutrition
✅ The stellar introduction of Cosmic Kitty Evolution treats in 2024.
Bags o’ Wags: The Tastiest Dog Treats for Happy, Healthy Pup
Launched in 2018, Montego’s Bags o’ Wags range offers a delicious variety of treats designed to delight dogs while strengthening the bond with their families. Made from high-quality, locally sourced ingredients, these treats are as nutritious as they are tasty. Bags o’ Wags now offers a range of 9 products including Bags o' Wags Denties launched in 2021, adding dental health treats to the range. In 2022 their new treats facility was opened in Graaff Reinet to maximise production and meet demand.
Packs o’ Purrs & Cosmic Kitty: The Ultimate Treats for South Africa’s Cats
Montego’s Packs o’ Purrs treats cater to feline foodies, while Cosmic Kitty Evolution, launched in 2024, introduces a new, space-themed brand identity. With a growing international presence, Cosmic Kitty is taking cats on a flavourful voyage to destinations both familiar and new. For cat treats that are more than just a treat they’re a taste sensation, a true experience of healthful deliciousness. And, if you’ve ever seen a kitty in an intergalactic flight suit, you’ll instantly understand the appeal of these treats.
Marco Van Jaarsveld: Innovating Montego’s Future, One Production Line at a Time
Marco’s path to Montego was unlike his brothers'. A pilot by trade, he spent years flying commercial planes and working with humanitarian organisations like the World Food Programme and Red Cross. Yet, during his month-long breaks, he worked at Montego, where he learnt everything from offloading raw materials to lab analysis.
By 2005, he took the plunge and joined full-time as Production Manager, overseeing Montego’s evolution from manual labour to a high-tech operation. Today, as Technical Director, he leads state-of-the-art factory upgrades, including:
- 2015: Earned FSSC 22000 Food Safety Accreditation, proving their commitment to quality.
- A R70 million expansion in 2019
- A R22 million investment in solar power to combat load shedding
- New production facilities in Rosslyn (2021) and Centurion (2022) with an expanded fleet of trucks
- By 2022 Montego owned depots in all nine provinces further enhancing distribution
Looking back over the years at the past of Montego, he wouldn’t change a thing. He is all about growing the Karoo brand, a super-premium, high-protein, limited-ingredient range that was developed in 2021. In 2024, Montego introduced Karoo wet food pouches and Karoo Wild Treats, made from 100% antelope meat, further cementing its commitment to innovation.
His current focus as Technical Director is bringing Montego’s Karoo Wild Treat range to the global market. If successful, it will lead to a major expansion of their treat-making operations, opening new opportunities for growth. But despite the growth, one thing has never changed—the company’s plans of action in tandem with state-of-the-art production.
His long-term dream? Keeping Montego a fierce competitor for generations, ensuring jobs, industry leadership, and a lasting legacy. Now that you’ve heard the backstory, let’s talk about Montego Karoo pet nutrition in a nutshell.
Montego Karoo: The Super-Premium, High-Protein Pet Food Your Dog Deserves
Montego Pet Nutrition has a long-standing reputation for producing top-quality pet food. Their belief that pets are family is evidenced in Montego Karoo, a super-premium, limited-ingredient pet food brand made in South Africa.
Montego Karoo’s range of foods is carefully crafted using A-grade quality ingredients sourced from sustainable farms. Formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of pets of all ages and breeds, Montego Karoo foods proudly refrain from including artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives. The product range encompasses both dry and wet food options.
Feeding your pet Karoo food provides several benefits, including improved skin and coat health, increased energy levels, reduced shedding, enhanced digestion, a stronger immune system, and a diminished risk of allergies. Karoo Treats serve as a wholesome reward or healthy snack for dogs, made from all-natural ingredients also without any artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives.
Montego Cares: How They Give Back to South Africa’s Pets & People
2020: The Montego Cares initiative showcases Montego’s commitment to giving back goes beyond sustainability—it’s about supporting communities, uplifting lives, and making a lasting difference.
Montego believes in doing its part for the planet and people. Its sustainability and philanthropic efforts include:
• Solar Power – A R22 million investment in renewable energy
• Feeding Schemes and community vegetable gardens, ensuring access to nutritious food
• Bottles to Balls – 38,775 plastic bottles recycled into sports equipment
• Clean Trade – Exchanging waste collection for food support
• Animal Welfare – Supporting the Graaff-Reinet SPCA
• Pink Trees for Pauline – Raising cancer awareness
• Care Centre & Vuyani Safe Haven – Supporting children and disabled people
• Magic Maths Programme – Funding educational initiatives
• Camdeboo Cycle Challenge – Encouraging community sports
Because at Montego, it’s not just about feeding pets—it’s about making the world a better place, one paw at a time.
Montego’s Next 25 Years: Innovation, Pet Health & Global Expansion
What started as a small company in Graaff-Reinet is now a multi-national leader in pet nutrition, with its sights set on the global stage.
As Montego continues to grow, one thing remains unchanged: its commitment to quality, innovation, and community—because Montego was built on faith, and its future remains guided by it. Today: With world-class facilities and cutting-edge machinery, Montego continues to set the standard in pet nutrition.
"Montego was built on hard work, trust, and dedication—but none of this would have been possible if God had not blessed this remarkable company." – Hannes Van Jaarsveld
To end off a quote from a Montego customer that aptly reflects South Africa’s appreciation for everything that Montego delivers:
"I've been using Montego Classic for my 3 dogs for the past 13 years and will keep on doing so!! GREAT quality food for my 'kids'—their condition and health is a sign of that!! Would recommend it to any pet owner who wants the best for their four-legged 'kids'. Thanks, Montego!!!!" William T.
Here’s to the next 25 years! Pop down to the shops or hop onto your laptop and get organised with a bag of Montego, your pets are going to love the way it tastes, I guarantee it.