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To export the best citrus and table grapes throughout the world and to facilitate the entire process
from the farm to the market to ensure that the product is grown, picked, packed and controlled
according to international best practice / supermarket requirements. |
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Afrifresh Group CEO, Chris Conradie, started as a Johannesburg-based importer of fresh produce in 1992. In 1999, Chris partnered with Roy Fine of the Cape-based fruit exporters, Sunpride and Fine Brothers, whose heritage in fruit trading dates back to 1908.
By this time, deregulation had enabled Afrifresh to embark on fresh produce exports and, under Chris and Roy’s dynamic leadership, Afrifresh became one of South Africa’s top five fruit exporters. |
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» Chris Conradie (CEO)
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Chris founded Afrifresh in 1992, after starting as a trader on the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market in 1990. Throughout his career he has excelled in identifying supply chain inefficiencies and unlocking value in underlying assets. An entrepreneurial thinker and visionary, Chris maintains a long-term investment approach. To this end, he has positioned the Group to harness two trends: the rising global demand for food, and a decline in the supply of citrus and grapes from the Southern Hemisphere. |
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» Roy Fine (Development Director)
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In 1997 Roy founded Sunpride (Cape) in partnership with the Gerber Group (UK). In 1999, after the Afrifresh Group and Sunpride merged, he became the Group's Development Director. Roy's invaluable industry experience dates back to 1979 when he became a director of Fine Brothers, a fruit trading company started in 1908. He holds various marketing and sales diplomas and has studied Post Harvest Technology at UC Davis in California. |
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| Milestones achieved by this entrepreneurial duo include: |
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1999
2002
2007
2008
2010
2011 |
Afrifresh Group joins forces with Sunpride in one of the first mergers in the South African fruit export industry;.
Acquisition of Rooiland Boerdery grape farm in the Northern Cape - the first case of a South African exporter diversifying vertically into farming;
Launch of African Pride Wines, the Group’s award winning wine producing
and exporting business;
Entry into a successful black economic empowerment (BEE) partnership. The BEE partners recently exercised their exit option and the Group is investigating new BEE opportunities;
Purchase of the raisin producer, Desert Raisins (since incorporated into Fruits du Sud);
Commencement of the Group’s first major development partnership with the IDC and local community, the Berekisanang Empowerment Farm project;
Acquisition of Fruits du Sud to quadruple the Group’s raisin production capacity;
Standard Chartered Bank’s Private Equity division purchases a 30% equity stake in the Afrifresh Group.
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| Throughout this time: |
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Continued investments were made in farms and pack houses to effect vertical integration and establish a growing product base;
World-class procurement systems and quality controls were introduced, together with industry-leading technical and marketing expertise;
A certified international agronomist was appointed to ensure adherence to global best practices;
Considerable investment was made in management information systems to significantly increase efficiencies;
Berfin developed into a flourishing business with its own infrastructure, warehousing, distribution and storage to handle all aspects of international trade.
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