Southern Fruit Growers

Name

Southern Fruit Growers

Legal name

Southern Fruit Growers (PTY) Ltd

Website

https://southernfruit.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Fruit Export

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113), Fruit and Tree Nut Combination Farming (111336), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Pome Fruit Orchards (Apples, Pears, Quinces) (AFAGACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Citrus Orchards (Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Grapefruit) (AFAGACAA), Import / Export Produce Wholesale (Cross-Border Trading) (AFAIACAH)

Keywords

• Fresh fruit export
• Citrus production
• Deciduous fruit
• Table grapes
• Fruit distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Somerset West

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fresh Fruit Export: Southern Fruit Growers generates revenue through the production and export of deciduous and citrus fruits including apples, pears, grapes, and citrus varieties. The company sources products from its own orchards and vineyards as well as from partner growers and suppliers, marketing the full range to international customers throughout the year.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Southern Fruit Growers produces and exports fresh deciduous and citrus fruit from South Africa and Namibia, supplying apples, pears, table grapes, and citrus (soft citrus, lemons, grapefruit, navels, Valencias) to international fruit importers and distributors. The company operates its own orchards and vineyards and supplements supply with partner growers across multiple climatic regions, marketing a full product range on a continuous 12-month basis to customers in North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and the Far East.

Product overview

Southern Fruit Growers is a South African fresh fruit producer and exporter operating four core product lines: Apples, Pears, Citrus, and Grapes. The company sources products from its own orchards and vineyards as well as from partner suppliers, with farms located in the Orange River Region, Hex River Valley, Langkloof, and Gamtoos River Valley. The company was established in 2000 and is owned and managed by four partners. The four products represent distinct product categories that form the basis of the company's year-round business marketing deciduous and citrus fruit to international markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Apples Fresh apple offerings for international B2B fruit importers and distributors, including bi-colour, yellow, green, and full red varieties such as Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Starking, Top Red, Gala-types, Fuji, Braeburn, Pink Lady/Cripps Pink, and Sundowner/Cripps Red. Sourced from company orchards and partner growers across South Africa.
• Pears Full-range pear programme for international B2B buyers, covering early Bon Chretien through to late-season blushed varieties such as Forelle. Represents the best pear varieties South Africa can offer, sourced from company and partner orchards.
• Citrus Full citrus range for international B2B fruit importers and distributors, including soft citrus, lemons, normal and pigmented grapefruit, navel oranges, and Valencias, supplied throughout the entire South African citrus season.
• Table Grapes Choice range of fresh table grape varieties for international B2B buyers, harvested between November and April from production regions including Mpumalanga, Namibia, Lower Orange River, Olifants, Berg River, and Hex River.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Partner Growers and SupplierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern Fruit Growers sources products from their own orchards and vineyards as well as from the orchards and vineyards of their suppliers and partners. The fruit is produced on farms owned by the four partners or supplied by growers through partnership arrangements. These partnerships are spread across all fruit production areas of South Africa.
• Sweet Sensation (Pty) Ltd - Siza EthicalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a producer/supplier with ethical certification (Siza). Southern Fruit Growers works with ethically certified growers and suppliers to ensure compliance with agricultural and ethical standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Capespan: South African-headquartered global fresh fruit marketer with multi-product and multi-region exposure across citrus, pome, and stone fruit. Highly comparable in geography, product breadth, and export-led B2B model.
• Subsole: Chilean fresh fruit producer-exporter with multi-product exposure (grapes, citrus, avocados, apples). Highly comparable as a Southern Hemisphere counter-seasonal exporter serving the same Northern Hemisphere retail customers.
• Dutoit Agri: South African vertically integrated fruit producer and exporter with pome, citrus, and stone fruit operations. Comparable as a domestically rooted SA grower-exporter targeting international retailers.
• Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing: South Africa's largest marketer of apples and pears, sourcing from growers in the Elgin, Grabouw, Vyeboom, and Ceres regions. Directly comparable as a SA pome-fruit producer-marketer serving international export markets.
• Compagnie Fruitière: France-based fruit producer and marketer with significant African (including West Africa) production, focused on bananas, pineapples, and other tropicals. Comparable as a multi-region Africa/Europe fresh produce exporter.
• Ceres Fruit Growers: South African fruit packer and exporter based in the Ceres region, focused on apples, pears, and stone fruit for international markets. Comparable in geography, product mix, and export-led B2B distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Dole plc: One of the world's largest fresh fruit and vegetable producers and marketers with global operations. Comparable at the export-channel and customer-base level, but operates at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Unifrutti Group: Multinational producer and distributor of fresh produce with operations in South America, Africa, and the Mediterranean. Comparable as a multi-region Southern Hemisphere exporter but with substantially larger footprint and product range.
• Fresh Del Monte Produce: Global vertically integrated producer, distributor, and marketer of fresh fruits and vegetables. Comparable in product/market overlap (apples, pears, citrus, grapes) but operates at global scale with owned production assets.

Regional players

• Zalar Holdings: Moroccan-based fresh produce exporter specializing in citrus, berries, and other fruits for European markets. Comparable as a Mediterranean/North African counter-seasonal exporter to similar retail customers, though geographically distinct.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-fruit-growers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Southern Fruit Growers