Grow Fresh Produce Agents (Grow) has undergone significant growth since its inception.

The company was established in 2017, but it has a long history in the fresh produce industry. Grow was initially established as a conglomerate of BothaRoodt, Marco and Green Network Fresh Produce Agents.

BothaRoodt, a well-known name in the industry, was established in the early 1960s, while Marco has been around since the 1980s. As such, while Grow may be relatively young, its subsidiaries have been operating as fresh produce agencies for many decades.

Grow currently operates on the Joburg, Tshwane, and Durban fresh produce markets, where the company accounts for around 25% of these markets’ turnover. Grow has more than 110 sales agents in its employ, selling fresh produce on behalf of more than 2 000 farmers. In 2024, Grow sold fresh produce worth around R5 billion.

Thebe Investment Corporation

When Thebe Investment Corporation (TIC) first became involved with Grow in 2017, it was already a well-known and established company with a significant investment portfolio.

However, its investment in Grow was the company’s first time investing into the agriculture sector.

In another first, when TIC bought shares in Grow, the company became the first fresh produce market agency whose major shareholders were a black-owned company.

TIC’s objectives were to add value to Grow’s already-established footprint in the agriculture sector and to strengthen the company’s structure. In order to meet these objectives, Hendrik Eksteen, CEO of Grow, and Deon van Zyl, chief commercial officer at Grow, were appointed in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

These appointments were a step in the right direction, with Eksteen and Van Zyl both bringing decades’ worth of experience to the company.

Despite only having been a shareholder for around seven years, TIC’s involvement with Grow is already bearing fruit in terms of expansion, with Grow having purchased an additional two market agencies, namely Noordvaal and Port Natal, of which the company is a 51% stakeholder in both businesses.

“Our relationship with TIC is a story of success,” says Eksteen. He adds that it is a partnership, with both companies having learnt from each other.

“We’ve learnt a lot about business from TIC and have taught them a lot about the agriculture sector, and the fresh produce market industry in particular.”

As it currently stands, TIC owns 51% of the shares in Grow, while the original shareholders of BothaRoodt, Marco and Green Network own the remaining 49%.

Growing success

Eksteen says Grow’s success lies in the relationships it has with its clients.

“We compete on the market floor on behalf of our producers, and then earn a commission from the produce we sell for them. But the essential aspect of our business is the trust relationship that exists between us, our producers, and our buyers.”

Eksteen explains that trust must exist between the market agent and the farmer.

“The market agent must be able to tell the farmer when the produce is of a lower quality. This is not an easy conversation to have, but we have found that producers appreciate honesty, transparency and integrity.”

While Grow is run like a corporate business, the company culture does not reflect the rigidity that may be associated with other corporations.

“Some of the original shareholders of Grow are still actively involved while Grow has embarked on a process to involve new generational shareholders. Any business operates better as a team or a collective,” says Eksteen.

Advice to farmers

Grow sells on behalf of all producers, regardless of the size of their operations.

“This is the beauty of South Africa’s fresh produce market system: the market accepts the whole basket of produce irrespective of the size or quality.”

Farmers interested in selling their produce on the market must deliver their produce in a marketable format, says Eksteen.

“Smaller farmers have the same opportunity to sell their produce as bigger farmers in this kind of system,” he adds. “The fresh produce markets present the opportunity for producers, large and small, to establish and grow their own unique brand.”

The biggest challenge facing smaller farmers, he adds, is getting their produce to the market.

“Unfortunately, smaller farmers face many challenges, like logistics and packaging. At Grow, we aim to guide and mentor all our farmers to overcome these challenges.”

Grow’s next step is to expand its footprint to the other metros in South Africa.

Furthermore, Grow has embarked on the journey to establish the Grow Academy. This academy aims to train and better equip people in the industry.

“The Grow Academy will add value to our agencies, the markets and the industry, strengthening skills of the individuals that work with our producers’ produce on a daily basis,” says Eksteen.

Visit growfreshproduce.co.za.