About us

Rainbow is a fully integrated broiler producer, leading the industry in all stages of chicken production from farm to fork. We are involved in every step of the process delivering fresh, frozen and further processed chicken of superior quality.

It starts with feeding and rearing our birds. With more than 100 years of experience and an unwavering commitment to taking exceptional care of our chickens we have developed affordable, high-quality animal feed. That’s why Epol is the first choice in animal feed for South African farmers. 

Today, Rainbow has more than 100 farms, 3 processing plants and 2 further processing plants across KZN, Inland and the Western Cape.

Our brands are the staple ingredient of delicious meals across the nation and it is our vision to be at the heart of every meal!

Our Mission

Rainbow wants to deliver great tasting, quality chicken to every table in South Africa. We want to feed families, empower local communities and ultimately nourish the nation.

And we want to do it in a sustainable way that supports the environment.

Our History

In 1960, Stanley Methven founded RAINBOW on his father’s farm. According to legend, while walking on the farm, he saw a rainbow at a waterfall and knew exactly what to call his small business. But he wasn’t picturing a pot of gold; he was picturing pots of hot Isishebo feeding families!

Stanley started selling RAINBOW’s chicken from a stall in central Durban, and demand quickly grew, leading to the establishment of the first processing plant in Hammarsdale in 1963.

RAINBOW’s goal has always been to feed families, care for communities, and nourish the nation. We are still keeping Stanley’s promise today, more than 60 years later as one of South Africa’s largest poultry producers.

Continued Innovation

Demand for Stanley’s chicken grew rapidly, and Rainbow expanded enormously, opening three processing plants within 16 years. A major highlight was winning the KFC tender in 1984.

Continued innovation saw a new R20M feed plant commissioned in 1992, and a R159M value-added plant in 2006. We were able to weather the challenges of the chicken dumping crisis, aviation influenza, listeriosis and Covid 19 – and now we are ready for a new chapter.

Our obsession with the quality of our birds continues! Our aim is to maintain the highest level of food safety at every one of our farms and product sites, whilst treating our chickens with absolute care.

Today, Rainbow is a fully integrated broiler producer that breeds and rears livestock on Epol Feed. We process, distribute, and market fresh, frozen, value-added, and further-processed chicken of superior quality.