{"id":1615,"date":"2016-12-01T06:54:29","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T06:54:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thebe.co.za\/thebeblog\/?p=1615"},"modified":"2016-12-01T06:54:29","modified_gmt":"2016-12-01T06:54:29","slug":"nhlanhla-nene-to-play-key-role-in-emerging-new-thebe-agri-venture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebe.co.za\/thebeblog\/2016\/12\/nhlanhla-nene-to-play-key-role-in-emerging-new-thebe-agri-venture\/","title":{"rendered":"Nhlanhla Nene to play key role in emerging new Thebe agri venture"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Thebe Investment Corporation has acquired a 51 per cent holding in the R1-billion turnover a year Botha Roodt Agency \u2013 one of the three largest agencies active in the Johannesburg Market, South Africa\u2019s highest-volume fresh produce market (with annual sales of around R6-billion).<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>This was announced today (29 November 2016) by Thebe chairman Vusi Khanyile. He says the transaction is still subject to the approval of the Competition Commission Authorities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNhlanhla Nene, resident advisor to Thebe, former Finance Minister of South Africa (and himself a small-time farmer), will be Thebe\u2019s key man on the transformation-enabling new venture,\u201d says Khanyile.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHoused under the umbrella of the Thebe Services Division \u2013 headed by Jerry Mabena, who will also play a vital management role \u2013 the acquisition will be the springboard for Thebe\u2019s entry into the supply aggregation of fresh produce.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFurthermore, the Botha Roodt Agency acquisition is the key first step in the planned positioning of Thebe as a strategic partner in the national food sector as a whole,\u201d says the chairman.<\/p>\n<p>Thebe intends to replicate the new venture in other food market sectors (including meat and dairy produce) as part of a three-pronged strategy to<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>facilitate primary agriculture by enabling the entrance of emerging farmers into the commercial food supply chain \u2013 by making them market-ready through training, mentoring and other interventions<\/li>\n<li>enable Government agencies to deliver sustainable agricultural projects, such as the development of agri-parks and agro processing facilities for farmers, and<\/li>\n<li>provide to the farmers access to both local and international markets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the process, Thebe will help generate an increase in demand both for established white farmers as well as new-entrant black farmers who need access to markets, says Khanyile.<\/p>\n<p><strong>First of its kind<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This latest Thebe empowerment-driven initiative is the first of its kind in South Africa\u2019s fresh produce sector,\u201d according to Mabena.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn its first phase, the venture will effectively raise Black grower participation in the country\u2019s largest fresh produce market from an existing mere 5% to almost 30%, thus providing a springboard to huge potential job creation,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p>The new venture is also a key element of a transformed, and transform-enabling, Thebe food business portfolio that allows existing players to maintain and extend their horizons to access both local and global markets while, at the same time, making it easier for new entrants to become part of the process.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Business as usual for Botha Roodt<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Botha Roodt Agency has been in existence since the 1960s and currently accounts for one third of the turnover of the Johannesburg Market.<\/p>\n<p>Its current management will remain in place on day-to-day activities and will be part of the decision-making process under the new structure, says director Paul Botha.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe transaction not only gives us access to a broader spectrum of producers and buyers but also opens the way to new markets. Our future plans include an enhanced service presence on more local and export markets,\u201d says Botha.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe look forward to integrating the perspectives and views of the founders and leadership team of Botha Roodt with the Thebe strategic vision of an African company that is doing business on an internationally competitive scale,\u201d Botha concludes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Seamless fit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The new venture fits seamlessly with Thebe\u2019s founding corporate statement\u2026\u2019<em>to<\/em> <em>promote black economic performance to a level that is internationally competitive\u2019, <\/em>says Mabena.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe entire point of the project is to build a value chain and open markets for small-scale farmers to access both at home and in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa \u2013 and, ultimately further afield internationally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the process, we will be creating jobs, stimulating economies and, not least, promoting food security.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the first of a number of projects that will be rolled out under the umbrella of Thebe\u2019s new Food Division \u2013 and it lines up well with the company\u2019s philosophy of building communities,\u201d says Mabena.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt also ties in with group\u2019s policy to partner with local communities in creating a platform of strategic fresh produce assets that will move emerging farmers closer to mainstream end customers,\u201d Mabena concludes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A difficult sector to transform<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cUntil now, fresh produce \u2013 historically the domain of formal farming \u2013 has been one of the most difficult sectors to transform.\u00a0 Thebe\u2019s acquisition of BRA will change that,\u201d says Khanyile.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is the first step of an initiative that will take emerging farmers to the centre stage of agro-processing \u2013 by way of access to markets through strategic partnerships.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe core strategy of Thebe\u2019s new food division is to nurture emerging\u00a0 farmers into understanding how the formal market works, and then expose them to, and guide them on, how to take advantage of the opportunities it offers,\u201d says the chairman.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can also put them in touch with existing commercial farmers, many of whom are actively seeking emerging farmers to partner with in the transformation of the fresh produce aspect of the food sector.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFurthermore, with the market intelligence now at our disposal, we can educate them on economies of scale; advise them on what crops to grow, and when to grow them; and generally assist them along the way as they establish and develop their market share.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs these emerging farmers grow their wings on the back of this process, they will create more and more jobs as they progress,\u201d Khanyile concludes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Joburg Market is dominant<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Joburg Market, which is located at City Deep, just a few kilometres from the Johannesburg CBD, accounts for 42% of the turnover of South Africa\u2019s fresh produce markets \u2013 followed by Pretoria (22%), Durban (10%), and Cape Town (6%).<\/p>\n<p>The sheer size of South Africa\u2019s fresh produce sector is reflected in the fact that fruit alone (which accounts for about half of the country\u2019s agricultural exports) is currently generating close to R25-billion a year in foreign exchange.*<\/p>\n<p>Commenting on Thebe\u2019s new venture, Joe Mazibuko, CEO of Joburg Market, says: \u201cThis is massive news \u2013 with huge positive implications for the transformation of South Africa\u2019s fresh produce supply chain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>* <em>Source<\/em><\/strong>:<em> Fresh Produce Exporters Forum<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thebe Investment Corporation has acquired a 51 per cent holding in the R1-billion turnover a year Botha Roodt Agency \u2013 one of the three largest agencies active in the Johannesburg Market, South Africa\u2019s highest-volume fresh produce market (with annual sales of around R6-billion).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,4,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brand","category-divisions-associates","category-news","post_format-post-format-image"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.3 - 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