Capespan takes on Asia

With its acquisition of a 35%

shareholding in the Mumbaibased

Yupaa Group, one of

India’s largest diversified fruit

importers and distributors,

the Capespan group now has

representation in each of the

main markets of Asia.

This new investment is

added to its existing interests

in Metspan Hong Kong,

Capespan Japan and the

Chinese group Golden Wing

Mau.

In a release, Capespan

MD Johan Dique said the

investment would provide

the company with a strategic

foundation for future growth.

And, according to the

group’s business analyst,

Andre van Niekerk, the

primary export fruits of

interest for India are pome and

citrus fruit.

“But,” he told FTW, “the

main crop going into India is

apples.” And, with the ‘an apple

a day keeps the doctor away’

slogan in mind, Van Niekerk

pointed to a population of

1.2 billion, “a large number

of whom are vegetarian”, he

added.

Quizzed about the

possibility of out-of-SA-season

fruit imports into this country,

Van Niekerk told FTW that

Capespan was still looking at

that.

“Certainly,” he said, “India,

in terms of a fruit producer,

is becoming more adept at

growing most fruits. But we

are more likely to be moving

fruit from India to other global

buying markets rather than

importing direct to SA.”

Yupaa markets and

distributes fresh produce

across India with an active

distribution network in

more than 32 cities, sold

to wholesalers and indirect

dealers covering all 29 states.

The transaction is in the

process of being finalised with

regulatory and stakeholder

approvals being obtained.