They might be deemed to be peasant food and an acquired taste, but South Africa’s “walkie-talkies” have found a surprise market in the Far East after a Western Cape company bagged a plum deal worth R300-million a year to supply chicken feet to China.

It’s hoped the first batch of frozen chicken feet will be dispatched to that country by the end of the year.

The deal, facilitated by Wesgro and Standard Bank, could potentially create 3,000 new jobs across the value chain, the Western Cape’s official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency announced in a press release. 

AskCarlaKote (ACK), a trade consultancy, will be delivering 540 tonnes of chicken feet each month to the Chinese market, primarily sourced from female-owned poultry farms in the Western Cape and Mpumalanga.

ACK sources products through an extensive global network of producers that was established during Covid-19. Carla Kote, its founder and CEO, set up the consultancy in 2020 by linking farmers’ surplus produce with markets. 

The consultancy also trades with Cameroon, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Namibia and South Africa, supplying chicken feed, feet and meat, FMCG goods, maize, rice and soya.

Wesgro said there was strong demand in China for chicken feet, and expanding export opportunities in various markets showed SA’s poultry industry had the potential for significant growth.  

West Africa

The consultancy was also in “advanced talks” with multiple West African clients about exporting chicken feet to that region and had received another enquiry about supplying chicken feet to the Asian market.  

Kote said despite delays in sealing the deal caused by the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in SA, the Far East presented enormous potential for SA poultry farmers. 

“While we have experienced some delays due to the recent bird flu outbreak in the country, we are optimistic that once all regulatory hurdles have been addressed, we will be sending our first test order to China before the end of the year.” 

Standard Bank has committed to enhancing and growing the broilers and abattoirs within the supply chain, Kote explained, while the agriculture departments in Mpumalanga and Western Cape were “in full support” of the project.

More than 50% of China’s chicken imports consist of chicken feet, delicacies known as “phoenix talons” or “chicken claws”, served at banquets, hole-in-the-wall eateries, bars and even cinemas as snacks, pickles, soups, stews and other dishes. 

One recipe for dim sum-style chicken feet, prepared with fermented black beans, notes that chicken feet are sought after for their earthy, umami taste. Chicken feet are also a popular addition to nutritious bone broth, rich in gelatin and deep flavour. 

Global supply

In 2022, the US sold $1.1-billion worth of chicken — 85% of which were feet — to China. That year, the US accounted for 43% of China’s frozen chicken feet imports, followed by Brazil (20%), Russia (11%), Argentina (5%), and Chile (3%), according to a Farm Progress report citing Southern Ag Today data, which also noted that in June 2023, volumes of US frozen chicken feet to China were down by 51% due to the bird flu outbreak while import values from Brazil and Russia were up by 77% and 42%, respectively.

AskCarlaKote benefited from a B2B “matchmaking” event, organised by Wesgro in partnership with Standard Bank, during which a Chinese company expressed interest in importing chicken feet from SA.

Mireille Wenger, the provincial minister of finance and economic opportunities, welcomed the deal, saying the department was determined to support the growth and expansion of businesses across the Western Cape. 

“This determination is at the heart of our economic action plan, ‘Growth for Jobs’, which aims to enable the private sector to create many more jobs in this province and across South Africa. This significant export deal is exactly the kind of expansion that we are proud to have played a part in enabling, supporting many jobs in this province and beyond, to bring benefits for all.” 

The Mayco member for economic growth in the City of Cape Town, James Vos, hailed the deal’s job-creation potential which secures prosperity for SA’s poultry industry. 

Luthando Vuba, the head of international trade at Standard Bank, added that partnering with African businesses and opening up opportunities in the world’s largest markets with strategic partners such as Wesgro, “really helps us deliver this goal more sharply, grow these businesses and impact the communities in which they operate”. DM