Uniekum Landbou Masjiene

What Uniekum Landbou Masjiene does

Uniekum Landbou Masjiene (Pty) Ltd is a South African manufacturer and importer of agricultural machinery specializing in the full potato and onion handling chain — planting, harvesting, transport, sorting, grading, washing, drying, polishing, weighing, and packaging. Founded in 1976 by Dutch-origin founders in Salt River, Western Cape, the company formally registered in 1980 and relocated manufacturing to a factory in Brackenfell, Cape Town. Over 45 years, it has built a proprietary product line including windrow and Vlakvark harvesters, the Tipper 700/900/1400 transport trailers, brush washer/dryers, polishers, soaking drums, storage bunkers, the U-Vision electronic sorter (using Netherlands-developed sorting software with remote monitoring), grading units, and weighing/bagging systems. It also produces specialized onion lifters and toppers and the Manure Spreader MST5000.

The company operates a dual business model: manufacturing its own branded equipment in Brackenfell while serving as the exclusive Southern Africa dealer for AVR (Belgium) potato planters and harvesters (Ceres and Spirit series, Lynx) and importer of TopAir (USA) onion harvesters since 2005 and 2008 respectively. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of capital equipment, supplemented by aftermarket service and spare parts. Products are sold direct to commercial farming enterprises through four regional sales offices covering Western Cape, Gauteng, Christiana, and Limpopo, with pricing quoted on request. Since 2020, the company has exported the U-Vision sorter and other equipment to Europe through overseas partnerships, marking a first move beyond the domestic market. Customer base is concentrated among South African potato and onion farmers, with documented installations including complete packaging lines in the Sandveld region and a U-Vision unit at Langeraad farm.

Name

Uniekum Landbou Masjiene

Legal name

Uniekum Landbou Masjiene (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://uniekum.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Uniekum Landbou Masjiene is a South African manufacturer of potato and onion handling machinery (planting, harvesting, transport, processing). It operates from Brackenfell, distributes AVR and TopAir equipment, and exports to Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Machinery

NAICS

Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111), Agricultural Implement Manufacturing (33311)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)

akta.pro primary industry

Potato & Specialty Crop Planters (Potato, Garlic, Sugarcane) (AFAAABAJ)

Keywords

• Potato handling machinery
• Onion handling equipment
• Agricultural machinery manufacturing
• Potato planters harvesters
• Post-harvest processing lines

Headquarters

HQ city

Brackenfell, Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Machinery Sales (Manufactured): Design and manufacture of potato and onion handling equipment at the Brackenfell factory. Products include windrow harvesters, Vlakvark harvesters, tippers (Tipper 700, 900, 1400), grading units, belt grading units, U-Vision sorters, brush washers/dryers, polishers, soaking drums, storage bunkers, conveyors, elevators, crate tippers, receiving hoppers, bag handling systems, and weighing/bagging units.
2. Imported Agricultural Equipment Distribution: Import and distribution of AVR (Belgium) potato planters and harvesters, and TopAir (USA) onion harvesters. AVR products include Ceres 200M, Ceres 200H, Ceres 440, Ceres 450 planters; Spirit 5200, 6100, 6200, 9200, and Lynx harvesters.
3. Aftermarket Services and Support: All equipment supported by Uniekum's after-sale service. Field service, spare parts, and maintenance support provided through regional representatives.
4. Equipment Export: Since 2020, Uniekum exports the U-Vision Electronic Sorter and other equipment to European markets through overseas partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Uniekum Landbou Masjiene designs, manufactures, and distributes specialized agricultural machinery for the potato and onion handling value chain in South Africa. Its portfolio covers planting, harvesting, transport, sorting, grading, washing, drying, polishing, weighing, and packaging equipment, manufactured at its Brackenfell factory, while also acting as the exclusive Southern Africa distributor for AVR (Belgium) potato planters/harvesters and TopAir (USA) onion harvesters.

Product overview

Uniekum Landbou Masjiene (Pty) Ltd is a South African manufacturer and importer of agricultural machinery specializing in potato and onion handling equipment. The company operates a dual-model business: it manufactures its own branded equipment at its factory in Brackenfell, Cape Town, while also serving as the Southern African distributor for Belgian manufacturer AVR's potato planters and harvesters. The core product portfolio centers on complete sorting and processing lines for potatoes and onions, encompassing planting (AVR Ceres planters), harvesting (AVR Spirit/Lynx harvesters, Vlakvark and Windrow harvesters), transport (Tipper 700/900/1400, Mobile Elevator), and processing (Receiving Hoppers, Storage Bunkers, Brush Washer/Dryer, Polisher, Rollastar Cleaner, Soaking Drum, Conveyors/Elevators, Roller Sorting Tables, Grading Units including the U-Vision electronic sorter, Sorting/Bagging Tables, Weighing-Bagging Units, Bag Handling, and Palette Boxes). The company also produces specialized onion handling equipment (Onion Lifters, Onion Toppers) and miscellaneous equipment like the Manure Spreader MST5000. All equipment is designed for local South African soil and climate conditions and supported by the company's after-sale service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vlakvark Harvesters (VV1000, VV1450, VV1650) In-line windrow harvesters designed for South African soil types, available in single, double-750mm, and double-900mm row configurations with hydraulic PTO drive for potato harvesting operations.
• Windrow Harvesters (TRL1450, TRL1650) In-line windrow harvesters with double web configuration featuring closed hydraulic circuit drive, shaker, and bolt-on hardened steel digging shears for South African conditions.
• Tipper 700 Product-friendly bulk transport trailer for potatoes with 7-ton capacity and 9.3m3 volume, featuring controlled discharge via uniquely-designed rear flap to minimize product damage between land and sorting line.
• Tipper 900 Bulk transport trailer with 9-ton capacity and 11.5m3 volume, designed for product-friendly transport of potatoes between land and sorting line.
• Tipper 1400 High-capacity bulk transport trailer with 14-ton maximum loading capacity, steering axle, hydraulic brakes, and uniquely-designed rear flap for controlled product-friendly discharge.
• Mobile Elevator Height-adjustable mobile elevator with hydraulic drive and up to 5m maximum discharge height, used for fast loading of loose products into lorries.
• Processing Lines Complete potato and onion sorting lines integrating product receival, cleaning/drying, sorting/grading, and weighing/packaging modules into end-to-end processing solutions for commercial farming operations.
• Receiving Hopper (TRH1101, TRH1102) Product receival equipment available for single tip trailer (in-line) or two tip trailers simultaneously (in parallel), with adjustable discharge heights for feeding the sorting line.
• Storage Bunkers (9-ton, 12-ton, 36-ton) Large-volume storage bunkers with 9, 12, and 36-ton capacities, featuring fill/outfeed conveyors with speed control and optional windflow fans for continuous product flow.
• Brush Washer/Dryer High-pressure washing and drying system with sponge rollers, pressure rollers for water removal, and heated air drying section for cleaning potatoes after harvest.
• Polisher with Shake-Action Vegetable polisher with unique shake-action and semi-circle mounted brushes, water tank circulation, and touchscreen-controlled operation, used for potatoes, carrots, and beet.
• Rollastar Cleaner First cleaning module with 5 star-shaped rollers and 1 nylon roller for gentle soil and root material removal, available in 900mm or 1,100mm widths.
• Soaking Drum Pre-washing equipment for very dirty products, soaking potatoes in water while gently rubbing to soften and remove stubborn dirt before washing.
• Conveyors and Elevators Equipment for linking sorting line modules and ensuring steady product flow, with various lengths and widths determined by line configuration requirements.
• Roller Sorting Table Inspection table for removing scrap and stones from product flow, featuring continuously turning rollers that allow viewing of all sides for accurate manual sorting.
• Junior Grading Unit Smallest Uniekum grading unit for sorting up to 3 tons per hour into three different sizes using wooden sieving frames.
• Uniekum Belt Grading Unit (FT900, FT1200) Sieve web-type grading unit for stand-alone or tandem use in five-section grading lines, with up to 10 tons per hour capacity and up to six different size separations using uniquely designed sieving webs.
• Uniekum U-Vision Electronic Grading Unit Electronic sorting machine using Netherlands-developed software to sort by external quality and weight class, with 12 sorting lanes, 6-18 exits, 12 vibration gutters, approximately 10 tons per hour capacity, remote monitoring via internet, and touchscreen control panel.
• Sorting/Bagging Table (900, 1200, 1500) Combined sorting and bagging tables with roller section for viewing all sides and PVC section for bag filling, available in 900mm, 1200mm, and 1500mm widths with adjustable lane guides.
• Bag Handling System Pocket handling and stitching carousel for 7kg and 10kg potato paper bags, featuring 9 pocket holders and industrial sewing machine for automated bag handling.
• Palette Box Palletizing system with doors that open and sides that move outward to free the palette stack, eliminating the need for forklift movement during pallet handling.
• Weighing-Bagging Unit Automated weighing and bagging system with double conveyors, adjustable electronic weighing, and carousel-mounted pocket holders for faster bag handling operations.
• Crate Tipper Hydraulically-driven crate tipper with associated tracks for controlled discharge of crate contents onto the sorting line in processing operations.
• Crate Tipper Elevator Elevator for use with Crate Tipper or direct crate/conveyor feeding, featuring product-friendly design and hydraulic or electric drive options.
• Onion Lifters (TL2060, TL2062) Trail model onion lifters with patented air topping system utilizing Schumacher linear sickle drive and high-capacity fans; picks up onion from ground, tops it, and throws directly into wagon with adjustable bed widths.
• Onion Toppers (KR85-2, KR85-3) New-generation onion toppers available in 2-blade and 3-blade models, featuring debris output system and total enclosure against waste, dust, and noise with topping capacities of 5-8 ton/hr and 7-10 ton/hr.
• Manure Spreader MST5000 Bin trailer with hydraulically-driven floor feed chain and spreader mechanism for controlled application of manure, compost, or other agricultural materials on farm fields.
• AVR Lynx Potato Harvester Double-row offset potato harvester imported from AVR (Belgium) that throws directly into a wagon, featuring automatic steering and adjustable track width for gentle handling and effective separation of product and soil.
• AVR Spirit 6100 Potato Harvester Single-row offset potato harvester imported from AVR (Belgium) with 5.5-ton bunker capacity, designed for superb digging quality and gentle product handling across various soil types.
• AVR Spirit 5200 Potato Harvester Double-row offset potato harvester imported from AVR (Belgium) with 8,500kg mass and 66kW minimum tractor power requirement, known for effective soil separation.
• AVR Spirit 6200 Potato Harvester Double-row offset potato harvester imported from AVR (Belgium) with 6-ton bunker capacity and 8,350kg mass, featuring excellent separation of product, soil, stones, and plant material.
• AVR Spirit 9200 Potato Harvester High-capacity double-row offset potato harvester imported from AVR (Belgium) with 8-ton bunker capacity and 11,000kg mass, designed for 140hp minimum tractor power.
• AVR Ceres 200M Potato Planter Mechanically driven two-row mounted potato planter imported from AVR (Belgium) with chain transmission from rear axle, featuring adjustable covering discs and large driving drum for precise planting.
• AVR Ceres 200H Potato Planter Hydraulically driven two-row mounted potato planter imported from AVR (Belgium) with comprehensive technology package and larger bunker, designed for planting in preconstructed beds.
• AVR Ceres 440 Potato Planter Four-row mounted potato planter imported from AVR (Belgium) with ISOBUS compatibility and row-independent hydraulic drive, featuring AVR Connect system for unified planting information management.

Quantifiable outcome

• U-Vision sorting system capacity: approximately 10 tons per hour
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Overseas Partners (Europe)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020In 2020, Uniekum entered into partnerships with companies overseas to begin exporting the U-Vision Electronic Sorter and other equipment to Europe, marking a significant expansion beyond the domestic South African market.
• TopAir IncminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008Uniekum imported its first TopAir onion harvester from America in 2008 after a company visit, expanding its product range to include onion harvesting equipment.
• AVR bvbacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2005Uniekum is the official Southern Africa dealer for AVR products, a Belgian company and one of the largest manufacturers of potato planters and harvesters in the world. Uniekum became AVR agents in 2005 and imported its first AVR 4100 Spirit potato harvester to South Africa. The partnership continues to this day, covering AVR Ceres planters and Spirit harvesters.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dewulf: Belgian manufacturer specializing in root crop (potato, carrot) harvesting and handling equipment. Directly comparable in product category (potato/carrot/onion handling lines) and competes with Uniekum for global packhouse and field equipment customers.
• Ploeger Oxbo Group: Netherlands-based manufacturer of harvesting and handling equipment for potatoes, onions, carrots, and other root crops. Directly comparable to Uniekum's specialty in onion and potato harvesting systems.
• TopAir Inc: US manufacturer of onion harvesters. Uniekum imports and distributes TopAir equipment in Southern Africa, and the two companies compete/overlap in onion lifting equipment globally.
• WM Kartoffeltechnik: German manufacturer of potato harvesting and handling technology. Comparable to Uniekum's windrow harvester and grading equipment product categories.
• Simon Group: UK-based manufacturer of potato and root crop handling, washing, grading, and packing equipment. Directly comparable to Uniekum's processing-line product range.
• Ropa Maschinenbau: German manufacturer specializing in root crop harvesting (sugar beet, potatoes) and handling equipment. Comparable in technology domain and farm-equipment focus to Uniekum.
• AVR bvba: Belgian manufacturer of potato planters, harvesters, and handling equipment, and one of the largest in the world. Uniekum is AVR's official Southern Africa distributor since 2005, and AVR products form a meaningful share of Uniekum's offering.
• ASA-Lift: Danish manufacturer of vegetable harvesting equipment, including for onions and carrots. Comparable product category and customer base (commercial root-crop and vegetable producers).
• Standen Group: UK-based manufacturer of potato and root crop handling, grading, and washing equipment. Comparable product mix to Uniekum's processing line modules (receiving hoppers, grading, washing, polishing).

Broad incumbents

• Grimme Landmaschinenfabrik: German global market leader in potato, beet, and vegetable machinery. Competes directly with Uniekum in potato planters/harvesters across multiple geographies, but at substantially larger scale and a broader crop portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uniekum-landbou-masjiene

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Uniekum Landbou Masjiene