Biographical Notes
Antoine Seeyave (1908-1987). Entrepreneur.
Born in Mahèbourg on 27 May 1908 of Hakka parents who had emigrated from China, Antoine Seeyave was the youngest of three children. He lived there and helped in his father’s bakery till the age of 14. He then moved to Port Louis to learn the trade in a family concern, The Corner House. A self-taught man, he studied Chinese outside working hours besides French and English. He caught the attention of the Manager of Lim How Store, who proposed him for a position of trust. In 1929, he went to Hong Kong to learn the procedures for importing goods made in China. In the course of a visit to the land of ancestors, he met Lim Tung Ying; she later became his wife.Later, he went into partnership with his brother, André, as a bottler of rum and spirits where he developed a refined product in rum blended with vanilla and prunes. Working on his own account, he further improved the recipe before launching “Bois Rouge” and it was to become a famous brand of specially refined blended rum. Upon the formation of Goodwill & Co Ltd in a bid to rationalise the rum sector, he became the largest shareholder on the merit of superior market share.
The 1950s was a decisive period of his life. In 1952, he founded Happy World Ltd in a united effort with Messrs Joseph Konfortion and Edward Leung Pin to manufacture ice cream. His constant quest was to improve the quality of products; in 1966, “Lyons Maid”, a leading brand in Britain, awarded him a licence to manufacture ice cream in conformity with their exacting standards. Prior to that, he had the good fortune of visiting Europe as a guest of Hachette having won a competition; the prize was a trip to Paris coupled with a tour of France organised by the publishing house. Whilst in France, he became acquainted with developments in the frozen food sector. Back in Mauritius, he directed his efforts to a project of distributing frozen foods. With that aim, he imported ‘Prestcold’ freezers to equip retailers, and acquired from the Royal Navy a modest-sized cold store. From there, he entered the frozen foods market. To begin, he imported frozen meats and butter. The range of products was broadened in 1964 when he also distributed tuna fish supplied by Kaigai Gyogyo, a Japanese trader in tuna fish caught in the Indian Ocean. In 1967, he joined forces with Blyth Brothers and Kaigai Gyogyo in promoting a joint venture company named Limuria Fishing Enterprises Ltd. He thus embarked on an undertaking to fish on an industrial scale.
Success led to a greater appetite for risk as he opted for diversification. In 1971, he was associated with Mr H. G. Richards in setting up Floreal Knitwear Ltd. With financial backing from Hutchison International of Hong Kong, training of workers began in 1971 and knitted pullovers were exported the following year. In a bid to progress further in frozen foods, Antoine Seeyave conceived a poultry farming project – Mauritius Farms Ltd – to produce chicken products under the “Carmen” label. In testimony of his faith in the next generation, he chose in 1976 to retire from the management of Happy World. He entrusted executive leadership to his sons, René and Antoine; the eldest, Philippe, elected to be a medical doctor. That decision was fruitful for the company drew inspiration from him to grow and prosper, and it became eventually the 10 th largest in Mauritius.
For his contribution in the field of industrial development, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth awarded Antoine Seeyave the title of Commander of the British Empire (C.B.E.) on 1 January 1974. Throughout, he remained fond of the simple joys of life. A family reunion with his two daughters, who had settled down with their family in Canada, was always a special moment of happiness. Antoine Seeyave died on 19 January 1987 after a brief illness. He was 78.
Translated from an original text in French by Huguette Ly Tio Fane Pinéo published by “Société de l’Histoire de l’île Maurice” in Dictionary of Mauritian Biography, October 2003 No 56.