Tru-Cape is responsible for around 20% of South Africa’s apple and pear production and fruit is exported to 108 countries worldwide. (Photo: Provided)
When the South African fruit industry grappled with deregulation and market fragmentation in the early 2000s, growers realized that greater collaboration was essential to remain internationally competitive. A quarter of a century later, Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing stands as proof of that vision; a company that has grown into South Africa’s largest exporter of apples and pears.
The company was founded in 2001 by leading producer organizations that merged to create scale and stability in a changing industry.
What started as a strategic merger at the time has developed into an influential international player over 25 years. Today, Tru-Cape is responsible for around 20% of South Africa’s apple and pear production and fruit is exported to 108 countries worldwide.
Pieter Graaff, chairman of Tru-Cape, says that scale has been at the heart of the strategy from the beginning.
“In global fruit markets, scale is essential. Tru-Cape has brought that scale together. We started with around 10 million cartons in our first year, which has since grown to more than 18 million. We are well on our way to pushing this up to 20 million cartons by 2028,” he says.
Moreover, the company has always focused on producers over the years.
“Tru-Cape’s core focus is to maximize the return for producers. This requires a good understanding of international markets, strong relationships and continuous adaptation to global demand. The more of the value chain is controlled, the better the company can deliver directly to retailers,” he says.
Building a brand was another core pillar of the strategy.
(Photo: Provided)
“We believed in it before it became common practice in the industry. Today we are still reaping the benefits.”
Tru-Cape is owned by Two-a-Day and Ceres Fruit Growers. The company supports thousands of jobs throughout the value chain and employs around 90 people directly.
According to Charles Hughes, former managing director and one of the founders of Tru-Cape, in-depth market knowledge was important from the outset.
“We had to get to know each market well from day one. This meant that we traveled, listened and built strong relationships,” he says.
Another key strategy was the so-called “one receiver per market” approach, which according to Hughes created focus and clarity.
“It kept us focused and established clear responsibility. It also enabled strong commercial relationships. Success lies in putting the right product at the right price in the right market.”
This strategy was maintained throughout.
“From the beginning there was only one group of shareholders, namely the producers. This focus determined every decision.”
From marketing organization to integrated value chain
Roelf Pienaar, managing director of Tru-Cape, says that over 25 years the company has grown from a simple marketing organization to a fully integrated value chain partner.
Roelf Pienaar, managing director of Tru-Cape. (Photo: Provided)
“Today, orchard production is aligned with global demand. It is no longer just about selling fruit, but about managing cultivars, optimizing yields and developing stable markets.”
The company has also strongly expanded its international presence. Growth is particularly visible in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and relations with retailers in Europe and the United Kingdom have been deepened.
Several strategic investments supported this growth. This includes a partnership with Link Supply Chain Management in 2008, an investment in GF Marketing in the Middle East in 2014, the establishment of a distribution center in City Deep in 2015, and an investment in Fruit Box in East Africa in 2020.
“Brand strength now ensures that we are present in key markets throughout the year. This brings stability, even when market conditions change,” says Pienaar.
Growth that empowers producers
Derek Corder, a Grabouw producer and board member, says Tru-Cape has strengthened producers’ international position. “This has given us global relevance, better bargaining power and access to well-structured outlet programs. We are also increasingly moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach to more refined market access for different sizes, grades and price levels,” he says.
Larger scale also enabled better long-term planning.
“Producers can now see the long-term market demand much better, which helps to make orchard decisions that only materialize years from now.”
Stability in changing industry
Over 25 years, Tru-Cape has played an important role in innovation within the industry. New cultivars and rootstocks were developed, warehouses were modernized, cold chain systems were improved and data-driven decision-making through artificial intelligence was introduced.
These developments improved efficiency, reduced losses and created better alignment between production and global demand.
According to Graaff, one of Tru-Cape’s greatest contributions is the stability it brought to the industry after deregulation.
“Tru-Cape’s strength lies not only in growth, but in its people. Strong management, long-term relationships and stability have built a solid and reliable company.”
Outlook for next quarter century
With exports to 108 countries and growth in emerging markets, Tru-Cape enters its next phase with strong momentum. Pienaar believes the future lies in further expansion and capacity growth.
“What excites me is the possibility of strong growth. Our packaging capacity at Ceres Fruit Growers and Two-a-Day is expanding, and this puts us in a very strong position for the next 25 years.
“We have built a company that can adapt to any challenges in the global market. That resilience will carry us forward.”