What Karsten does

Karsten Group is a privately-held, vertically integrated fresh fruit producer and exporter founded in 1968 in South Africa by Piet and Babsie Karsten. The company grows, packs, markets, and distributes a diversified fresh produce portfolio — table grapes, dates, citrus, pecan nuts, apples, cherries, and watermelons — across farms located primarily in the Northern Cape (Orange River region), Western Cape, and Namibia. Its core production technology centers on precision irrigation and water management, modern cold storage and packing facilities, and state-of-the-art cold-chain management that preserves fruit quality from farm to shelf. The company also benefits from the Northern Cape's natural Citrus Black Spot-free phytosanitary status, which provides preferential access to regulated export markets.

The group operates a fully integrated supply chain: Karsten Fruit Packers handles packing and cold storage; Karsten Marketing orchestrates global sales strategy; Horizon Fruit Logistics manages end-to-end logistics, cold-chain, and export documentation; and a network of wholly-owned regional entities (Karsten UK, Karsten Europe B.V., New South B.V., KSL B.V., Natures Bridge) handle distribution, customs clearance, repacking, and retailer-facing services in the UK, Netherlands, and broader Europe. Revenue is generated through B2B export sales of fresh fruit to global retailers and wholesale distributors on quote-based, volume-driven terms. Key named retail relationships include Albert Heijn and Waitrose, with additional distribution to the Middle East, Far East, and other European markets. Certifications include GlobalGAP, BRCGS, SIZA, and Carbon Heroes, supporting market access with major international retailers.

Name

Karsten

Legal name

Karsten Group

Website

https://karsten.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Karsten Group is a South African vertically integrated fruit producer and exporter, growing and distributing table grapes, citrus, dates, pecans, apples, cherries, and watermelons to global retailers and wholesalers across more than 10 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Fruit Production and Export

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh Produce Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh Fruit Wholesale (AFAIACAA), Foodservice / HORECA Produce Wholesale (AFAIACAI), Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables) (AFAIABAE), Fresh Produce Distribution (CRAOABAB)

Keywords

• Fresh fruit export
• Agricultural farming
• Cold chain logistics
• Fruit packing services
• Produce distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Spalding

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fruit Export and Sales: Karsten generates revenue through exporting and selling fresh premium fruit (table grapes, dates, citrus, pecans, apples, cherries, watermelons) to global retail and wholesale customers. Operations span from farming and packing to marketing and logistics.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Karsten Group is a vertically integrated fruit producer and exporter that grows, packs, markets, and distributes premium fresh fruit — including table grapes, dates, citrus, pecans, apples, cherries, and watermelons — to global retail and wholesale customers. The company controls the supply chain end-to-end through its own farms, packing facilities, in-house logistics arm (Horizon Fruit Logistics), and dedicated international distribution hubs in the UK and the Netherlands.

Product overview

Karsten Group is a vertically integrated fruit-exporting business offering a portfolio of fresh produce products. The core offering consists of table grapes, dates, citrus, pecan nuts, apples, cherries, and watermelons grown across South African and Namibian farms. Supporting operations include Karsten Fruit Packers (packing and cold storage), Karsten Marketing (sales and market intelligence), Horizon Fruit Logistics (logistics and supply chain), and international distribution operations in the UK and Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Horizon Fruit Logistics: In-house logistics specialist for fresh produce, founded in 2007, focusing on cold-chain management, packhouse coordination, export documentation, and international distribution.
• Jabelpa Trust
• Jabelpa Trust

Quantifiable outcome

• Extended fruit season through diverse regional growing regions from Orange River to Western Cape
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Newfresh GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Karsten acquired 50% of shares in the Newfresh Group in 2011, who promote their products in the Far and Middle East markets.
• Newgro FarmingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011BEE project where 40% of shares are owned by female employees, started in 2011 as a strategic partnership supporting empowerment objectives.
• Albert HeijnflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLongstanding collaboration with Albert Heijn amplifying social impact by combining resources to improve housing, health, and education in farming communities through the Jabelpa Trust initiatives.
• WaitroseflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLongstanding collaboration with Waitrose amplifying impact by combining resources to improve housing, health, and education in farming communities through the Jabelpa Trust initiatives.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves23 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Greenyard: Belgian-listed global market leader in fresh, frozen, and prepared fruit and vegetables, supplying European retailers with a vertically integrated model. Comparable in customer base (European supermarkets) and category, but much larger and broader portfolio.
• Dole plc: Global fresh produce grower, packer, and distributor with extensive international distribution infrastructure. Comparable in vertically integrated farm-to-retailer model and global reach, but operates at far greater scale across multiple fresh categories.

Direct peers

• FruitOne: South African vertically integrated table grape specialist exporting to global retailers with its own farms, packhouses, and logistics. Direct peer in table grapes with overlapping European retail customers and similar export-focused model.
• Capespan: One of South Africa's largest fresh fruit exporters with vertically integrated farming, packing, and global distribution to retailers in Europe, the UK, and Asia. Directly comparable to Karsten in product mix (citrus, grapes, stone fruit), customer base, and integrated value chain.
• Bonanza Fruit: South African table grape and citrus exporter with global retail customers and vertically integrated operations. Direct peer in product focus, export channels, and premium retailer positioning.
• Goede Hoop Citrus: South African citrus-focused producer-exporter with vertically integrated farming, packing, and global distribution. Closely comparable in product focus (citrus), region, and export-led B2B model.
• Suiderland Plase: South African citrus and table grape grower-exporter with farms in the Northern Cape and distribution in Europe. Direct peer sharing the same growing region as Karsten and co-distributing through New South B.V.
• Afrex Group: South African fresh produce exporter specializing in citrus and grapes to global markets, with established distribution in Europe and Asia. Direct peer in product mix, customer base, and Southern Hemisphere exporter model.
• Zespri: Vertically integrated New Zealand kiwifruit exporter with a globally recognized premium brand, integrated marketing, and direct retailer relationships. Direct peer in the model of a single-origin premium fresh fruit exporter dominating international retail channels.

Regional players

• In2Food: South African fresh produce processor and supplier serving foodservice and retail with prepared fruit and vegetables. Adjacent peer sharing the South African fresh produce supply base and overlapping retail customers, though more focused on prepared/value-added.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@karstengroup9898/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/karsten-uk-limited
• Facebookfacebook.com/karstengroup

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Karsten