Key Management and Directors

Key Managment

Managing Director

MARIUS HUGO

Marius Hugo was appointed as Managing Director of Abagold in 2025, following three years as Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he leads the strategic direction and overall operations of the company, with a strong focus on resilience, sustainability, and long-term growth.

Marius brings a multidisciplinary leadership style grounded in collaboration, operational excellence, and innovation. During his tenure as COO, he oversaw all farming operations in South Africa and Oman, drove significant cost optimisation initiatives, and championed improvements in feed conversion and energy efficiency.

He holds an MBA from the University of Cape Town and a degree in Engineering from Stellenbosch University. His career spans leadership roles across both commercial and developmental sectors, with a proven track record of building high-performance teams and delivering sustainable impact.

As Managing Director, Marius is committed to maintaining Abagold’s position as a global leader in premium, sustainably farmed abalone, while nurturing its legacy of innovation, job creation, and environmental stewardship.

Marketing and Sales Manager

WERNER PIEK

Werner joined Abagold in 2006 to head up the new processing plant.

After studying food technology at the Cape Technikon, Werner started his career in the fresh fruit industry as a quality assessor at PPECB. In 2000, he became involved with an internet start-up company marketing fresh fruit on the internet. He was one of the founder directors of FairTrade South Africa (FTSA) and served two years as Chairperson on the FTSA trust. During this time, he was a representative for Southern Africa on the African Fairtrade Network (AFN).

Financial Director

ENVER MANCHEST

Enver joined Abagold on 1 January 2018.

Enver is a chartered accountant with 15 years’ experience in financial management. After qualifying as a pharmacist, he completed the accountant’s conversion course at UCT in 1998 and attained the post graduate diploma in accounting in 1999. Enver completed his articles with Ernst & Young in Cape Town, and in 2003, relocated to Johannesburg. He has worked for Standard Bank Structured Finance Division, where the roles he fulfilled included finance manager and pricing manager with CIB. In 2008 he joined Eqstra fleet management and headed up the finance team for the “Rest of Africa” division, which managed operations in 8 African countries including Nigeria. He was part of a team that started a new venture for Eqstra, in mining equipment leasing, and was later promoted to divisional CFO. His most recent role was in the logistics industry as the CFO of Transit Freight Forwarding, a subsidiary of a Hong Kong listed entity.

Message from the MD

Abagold is built on the belief that sustainable aquaculture can deliver both exceptional products and lasting impact. For over 25 years, we have cultivated premium abalone on the southern coast of Africa — earning a reputation for quality, innovation, and stewardship.

As Managing Director, I am honoured to lead a team that is deeply committed to operational excellence, environmental responsibility, and long-term value creation. Our business operates in a complex and evolving global landscape — shaped by shifting markets, climate realities, and technological advancement. In response, we are strengthening our core operations while actively pursuing efficiencies, product innovation, and geographic diversification.

Our focus remains on what we do best: producing the world’s most trusted farmed abalone through methods that respect nature, empower people, and deliver consistency to our global customers. We continue to invest in infrastructure, systems, and talent to improve resilience and ensure that Abagold remains globally competitive for decades to come.

Looking ahead, we are committed to unlocking growth through strategic partnerships, careful innovation, and disciplined execution — while staying true to our founding purpose: to protect a rare species, create meaningful jobs, and build a company South Africa can be proud of.

Thank you for your interest in Abagold. We look forward to what the future holds.

Marius Hugo

July 2025