OUR STORY
Deeply rooted in the agricultural sector, the Fruitways Group has been farming in the Elgin and Vyeboom regions since the early 1900s. In time the group has expanded into the storage and packing of apples and pears, constantly motivated to improve our service and quality to customers.
In 2000 the group further evolved into the marketing and exporting of fresh produce around the globe. Our integrated business now serves to align growers with customers where we strive to differentiate ourselves with customer service excellence and innovative solutions.
Key alliance growers and packers have joined the group over the years, forming an integral part of our ever-evolving beehive. The owners and management of these organisations are business partners, and we rely on their input, cooperation, and support to ensure we deliver on our promises to customers.
Our Brand History
OUR HISTORY
Fruitways comes from humble beginnings. From a single, self-packing farm, we have grown into the industry powerhouse you know and love by always adopting agricultural innovations early. From innovations in pest control and irrigation, to technological advancements in refrigeration, packing and logistics, being an early adopter of the cutting edge over the years has certainly given us the competitive edge.
By shifting gears in the early 2010s, and refocusing solely on the production, packing and distribution of pome fruit, Fruitways has been able to innovate, to integrate, and to reinvent modern, vertically integrated Agri-services.
1921
Fist plantings of plums, apples, pears, and berries on Eikenhof, one of the original Fruitways farms.
1937
First tractor purchased at Eikenhof replacing all mules farming.
1945
Graymead farm was purchased by the Moodie family.
1948
Sprinkler systems were introduced to improve water management.
1950
First pack shed with packing capabilities built on Graymead farm.
1958
Coldstore capacity was introduced to improve shelflive, supply, and quality of fruit.
1961/1962
First consigment of apple cartons exported.
1968
1st Phase of Nuweberg dam started to improve water supply in summer months. 2nd Phase followed in 1971.
1971
Current Chairman, ADM, joined the business with his father who has been active in the business since 1930.
1977
Groenland Irrigation dam, Eikenhof was completed to further improve water availability.
1997
Deregulation of the South Africa export industry allowed Fruitways farms to export 100% of their own crop in 1998.
2000
Fruitways Marketing established with commercial exports to key UK and EU retailers.
2002
Elgin Orchards packhouse joins the Fruitways Alliance.
2003
Molteno Brothers Charitable Trust joins Fruitways Alliance. Valley Packers acquired, significantly improving supply and packing capacity of fruit for Fruitways Marketing.
2007
Chiltern Farms joins the Fruitways Alliance.
2010
Installation of new presorting and packing lines at Melpack, first operation presorting system in South Africa.
2013
Fruitways & Molteno Brothers Charitably Trust merge to form the Fruitways Group.
2016
Installation of more presorting capacity at Valley Packers to further improve service and availability to customers globally.
2017
Expansion of cold storage capacity at various sites to improve cold-chain and long-term storage.
2021
New Molteno pack shed commission with latest presorting and packing technology.
