South African-owned fruit trader Fruitbox has landed a major coup by obtaining the exclusive agency for a sought-after New Zealand brand of kiwifruit in East Africa.
Kenya-based Fruitbox, owned by South African fruit marketer TruCape and exporter Vitanova International, recently partnered with New Zealand post-harvest operator EastPack to supply the premium-brand Zespri kiwifruit to Kenya.
Zespri kiwifruit was previously shipped from South Africa to East Africa in limited volumes, but due to logistical and cold chain inefficiencies, the fruit was expensive and had a relatively short shelf life.
This exclusive partnership enables Fruitbox to supply the Zespri kiwifruit directly and cost-effectively from New Zealand to the region’s growing middle class.
“Previously, we sourced Zespri kiwifruit primarily from South Africa and then airfreighted it to Kenya, contributing to the cost chain and the final product price,” says Sandip Jethalal, general manager of Fruitbox. “Our direct supply chain will reduce the cost to the final consumer. Still, more importantly, we will now be able to vouch for the quality and integrity of the product we sell to our customers.”
Nico de Lange, chairman of Fruitbox, says the company is well-placed in East Africa, with an unparalleled supply chain and modern cold storage facility, ensuring consistent quality.
“As a first receiver with established distribution channels and storage facilities, we can import full container loads directly from the country of origin and develop the category to its full potential.”
Fruitbox’s broader strategy is to collaborate with blue-chip suppliers into Africa, which is a growing market for many production countries.
“With the growing middle class in East Africa comes a demand for higher-value fruit such as cherries, peaches and nectarines. We aim to align with esteemed brands, such as Zespri, Tru-Cape and Jana Fresh, to supply these products directly from source, which results in value and quality optimisation for consumers in the region,” according to De Lange and Jethalal.
“Fruitbox has a unique geographic location and can supply the East African community with kiwifruit from New Zealand,” said Richard Fraser-Mackenzie, general manager for order and supply at EastPack in New Zealand. “We expect the market to grow incrementally and our green and gold kiwifruit consumption to expand annually.”
