BIDVEST LABELS: Bringing Expertise Together to Deliver More
Rotolabel, S&N Labels, and Spec Systems – three of South Africa’s most prominent label and printing specialists – have been bought together under the Bidvest banner to create an organisation with deep local understanding and world-class products and services. Bidvest Labels is aiming for ongoing growth and expansion in an extremely competitive industry, using experience and technology that others simply cannot match.
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From premium wine labels to industrial barcode solutions, labels play a vital role in how products are identified, presented and tracked. Bringing three established businesses together under one name, Bidvest Labels combines decades of industry experience with an extensive portfolio of labelling and auto-identification solutions for customers across South Africa.
Operating within Bidvest Data, Print & Packaging (BDPP), Bidvest Labels combines the expertise of Rotolabel in Cape Town, S&N Labels in Johannesburg and the label division of Spec Systems. Together, the businesses offer a comprehensive range of products and services spanning fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), food and beverages, personal care, wine, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics and other industries.
The portfolio includes self-adhesive labels in digital, full-colour, wraparound, barcode, variable-data and RFID formats, alongside price-marking systems, label printers, scanners, mobile computers and labelling software. Bidvest Labels is also the largest tier-one distributor of inkanto thermal transfer ribbons from ARMOR-IIMAK in sub-Saharan Africa. Its operations hold FSC, ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 22000:2018 certifications.
3 BUSINESSES, 1 SA OFFERING
Although the Bidvest Labels name is new, the expertise behind it is well established. Rotolabel was founded in 1982 and joined Bidvest in 2008, while Spec Systems brings more than 32 years of experience in barcoding and auto-identification. S&N Labels adds further established capabilities in industrial and logistics labelling.
The three businesses were brought together under the Bidvest Labels banner, which was unveiled at Propak Africa in 2025. The integration represents a strategic step towards combining their complementary capabilities, broadening the group’s offering and making it easier for customers to access a wider range of labelling solutions.
“The formation of Bidvest Labels represents a strategic step forward in our commitment to delivering cutting-edge labelling solutions,” says Colin Adendorff, CEO of Bidvest Data, Print & Packaging. “By uniting these three companies, we have created one of the largest label businesses in South Africa, offering a national footprint, an extensive product range and a single point of contact for all labelling needs.”
While operating under a common brand, the businesses retain the specialised expertise and operational flexibility that have helped establish their individual market positions. Their respective strengths also reflect the different demands of the markets they serve. Cape Town has a strong presence in FMCG, food, personal care and wine, including wraparound labels, while Johannesburg has a greater focus on industrial and logistics labelling.
“We are very strong in FMCG, food, personal care and wine – those are our core market segments,” says Grant Watson, Managing Executive of the Cape Town operation. “Johannesburg is bigger in logistics labelling.”
Both operations use digital and flexographic printing, with the Johannesburg business also handling substantial volumes of blank and spot-colour labels. This combination allows Bidvest Labels to serve a broad range of applications, from highly designed consumer-facing packaging to functional labels used in demanding industrial environments.
EXPERIENCE THAT ADDS VALUE
For Watson, who began his career as a junior salesperson alongside Rotolabel’s founder nearly three decades ago, the Bidvest model has been instrumental in supporting the business’s growth.
“We were happy to sell to Bidvest because of their model,” he explains. “We are backed by a big corporate, but we are very decentralised and have the best of both worlds. The quality standards and compliance are great for customers, while there is still flexibility and autonomy.”
This balance between group resources and local decision-making remains an important part of the business’s approach. Customers benefit from established quality and compliance systems, supported by teams that understand their markets and can respond to specific requirements.
Bringing the businesses together also creates opportunities to expand existing customer relationships. Customers who previously sourced printed labels from one operation can now access a broader range of complementary products and services, including thermal transfer ribbons, printing equipment, software and verification systems.
“We are trying to synergise ourselves under Bidvest Labels to provide a better offering for our customers,” says Watson. “Bringing the three companies together is a big change for the marketplace, and we need to ensure that people know we offer a comprehensive competitive advantage.”
The objective is not simply to combine product catalogues. It is to draw on the group’s collective knowledge to help customers identify appropriate solutions for their particular applications, production requirements and operating environments.
In a market where full-colour label printing is increasingly accessible, experience and service can be significant differentiators. Understanding a customer’s production processes, specifications and commercial pressures requires more than printing capability alone.
“For us, positive relationships are of paramount importance,” says Watson. “We have a very good reputation for knowledge and understanding of the industry. We have been around for 40 years, and we understand the markets, the customers and how their businesses work.”
He believes that this accumulated expertise, combined with a wide product and service offering, gives Bidvest Labels a competitive advantage. Rather than focusing on an individual product, the business aims to provide customers with the knowledge, support and reliability needed to meet their labelling requirements over the long term.
QUALITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE
Consistency is critical in label production, where material selection, print quality and accurate information can all influence the performance of the finished product. As brands seek to differentiate their products on increasingly crowded shelves, demand for specialised substrates, foils, tactile finishes and other customised effects continues to create opportunities for innovation.
Bidvest Labels works closely with established suppliers to source materials and technologies that meet its customers’ requirements. These partnerships support the development of solutions that balance appearance, functionality and consistent production quality.
“We pride ourselves on the trust we have across all relationships,” says Tim Grisdale, Managing Executive of the Johannesburg operation. “For us, it is essential that we deal with suppliers at the top of the game, because we trust the quality they can deliver. Consistent quality is critical.”
Watson emphasises the importance of long-standing supplier relationships. Working with partners that have a strong local presence and an understanding of the South African market enables the business to draw on international technology and expertise while maintaining close working relationships with customers.
The combination of local knowledge and access to established printing technology also challenges perceptions that South African packaging businesses cannot compete with international standards.
Watson points to the quality of equipment, machinery and raw materials available to the local industry as evidence of its capabilities. Although South Africa accounts for a relatively small share of global label production, he believes local manufacturers can compete with international players. “We are as good as the global players, if not better,” he says. “We understand the South African market.”
For Bidvest Labels, that understanding extends beyond the printed product itself. Local expertise, customer relationships and the ability to respond to market-specific requirements remain central to its competitive position.
The business also invests in the technical capabilities needed to meet changing industry demands. As new two-dimensional barcode requirements place greater emphasis on accurate data and efficient artwork approvals, in-house reprographic expertise helps support the verification of electronic artwork and the timely delivery of customer jobs.
SUSTAINABILITY IN PRACTICE
Environmental considerations are increasingly influencing label and packaging design, from material selection and resource efficiency to the recyclability of finished products. Bidvest Labels is exploring solutions that help customers reduce the environmental impact of their packaging while maintaining the performance and quality they require.
One initiative involves trials of UPM Raflatac’s New Wave adhesive technology, which enables paper labels to be washed off polypropylene and high-density polyethylene containers in water at 40°C. Such solutions can support recycling processes by making it easier to separate labels from containers. The business is also focusing on sustainable materials, FSC certification and improvements in water and energy efficiency.
“We have a big sustainability drive, and there are strong projects going on across the businesses in terms of sustainable materials, FSC certification, water and energy efficiencies,” says Watson.
Rotolabel has also pioneered the use of post-consumer recycled content in labels in the South African market, including an application for Woolworths’ baby shampoo range.
“For us, sustainability is one of the things that is at the forefront of everyone’s mind,” says Grisdale. “We try as much as we can to ensure that products are recyclable, and we look at reducing the amount of material we use by choosing thinner products.”
As customers face growing pressure to improve the sustainability of their packaging, material innovation and collaboration across the supply chain are likely to remain important areas of focus.
LOOKING AHEAD
With the three businesses operating under a shared identity, Bidvest Labels is focused on strengthening market awareness and demonstrating the breadth of its combined capabilities.
Its return to Propak Cape from 27 to 29 October 2026, as part of the Bidvest Packaging stand, will provide an opportunity to engage with customers, suppliers and prospective partners while showcasing its product and service offering.
“We want to engage with partners and customers, and potential customers, and continue to reinforce the new brand name while showcasing our product and service range,” says Adendorff. “It is a large event and is perfect for us to display who we are and how we work.”
Today, the combined operation comprises two factories and 283 employees, bringing together established manufacturing capabilities, technical expertise and customer relationships under one national brand. For Watson, that experience remains central to the business’s future. “Our credibility is what makes us a strong business in the South African market,” he says.