03 July 2025 – Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) today announced it has agreed to sell Safety SA, a South African testing, inspection, certification and training (“TICT”) business, to Centre Testing International Group Co., Limited (“CTI”). The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions.
Founded in 1952 as NOSA, Safety SA is a leading provider of TICT solutions across Africa, the Middle East and China, focused on food and workplace safety. Through its flagship and proprietary NOSA Five Star System, Safety SA assesses and seeks to improve occupational health, safety and environmental management systems for its clients. The company operates 6 food safety labs and 15 training centres and is supported by a team of over 540 skilled
professionals.
Through its Carlyle Sub-Saharan Africa Fund (“CSSAF”), Carlyle acquired NOSA Group in 2018. Alterra Capital Partners (“Alterra”), a private equity firm formed in 2020 by former members of Carlyle’s CSSAF team, became adviser with respect to CSSAF’s investments including Safety SA.
During Carlyle’s ownership period, Alterra worked closely with Safety SA’s management team to reposition the company from an occupational health and safety services provider to an integrated TICT platform providing a range of services to blue-chip clients.
Pieter Erasmus, CEO of Safety SA, said: “This is a significant milestone for Safety. We are
delighted to be joining forces with CTI, a global leader in the TICT space. This partnership will help us reach our goal of growing our presence significantly across Africa and the Middle East. I would like to express my thanks to Carlyle and Alterra who have been vital partners and have
helped us build the Safety platform into what it is today.”
Eric Kump, Partner at Alterra, said: “On behalf of Carlyle and Alterra, I would like to congratulate and thank the management team and employees of Safety. The sale to a multibillion-dollar international strategic investor underscores the exceptional quality of the business and its people. It also reflects growing confidence in South Africa as an attractive destination for foreign direct investment.”
Safety SA is the largest independent TICT platform in South Africa, serving Africa and the Middle East, and is focused on food safety and workplace safety. It has grown through a combination of organic initiatives and targeted acquisitions, with a focus on expanding services across existing customers and supporting larger, multi-service contracts.
Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $453 billion of assets under management as at March 31, 2025,
Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,300 people in 29 offices across four continents. Further information is available
at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on X and LinkedIn.
Alterra is an experienced pan-African private equity firm that partners with exceptional entrepreneurs and management teams to grow their businesses. The Alterra team, operating out of offices in Johannesburg and Nairobi, has invested $1.9 billion of capital into 20
companies across Africa. Alterra targets domestic-facing companies that serve basic consumer and vital business needs.
CTI (stock code: 300012) is a leading third-party testing, inspection and certification company based in China. With over 13,000 employees operating a network of about 160 laboratories and more than 260 offices in over 90 cities worldwide, CTI services over 100,000 clients, including over 100 companies listed in the Fortune 500. The company serves a broad range of industries
including food safety, environment, pharmaceuticals, electronics and construction.