Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing is celebrating its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter-century of partnership, innovation and growth that has helped position South Africa’s apple and pear industry as a globally competitive force.
Formed in 2001 through the consolidation of leading producer organisations, Tru-Cape emerged in response to industry deregulation and fragmentation. What began as a strategic unification has become South Africa’s largest apple and pear exporter, representing about 20% of South Africa’s total production. It was built on grower ownership of the value chain, disciplined market access, and long-term value creation.
From consolidation to global scale
Chairman Pieter Graaff says Tru-Cape was created to achieve the scale required to compete internationally — and has delivered on that mandate.
“In global fruit markets, scale is essential. Tru-Cape brought that together. We grew from about 10 million cartons in our first year to more than 18 million today, and we are moving toward 20 million by 2028.”
Tru-Cape, owned by Two-a-Day and Ceres Fruit Growers, now exports to approximately 108 countries and employs around 90 people directly, while supporting thousands of jobs across its producer base and value chain.
Graaff says the company’s strength lies in its grower-centric model and market discipline.
“At its core, Tru-Cape exists to maximise grower returns. That requires deep market understanding, strong relationships, constant alignment with global demand, and owning as much of the value chain as possible to deliver directly to retail.”
He adds that Tru-Cape’s early investment in brand-building helped to differentiate it globally.
“We believed in building a brand long before it became standard practice in the industry. That decision continues to pay dividends today.”
Building a market-led global business
Former managing director and founding architect Charles Hughes says early global market development shaped the company’s DNA.
“From the start, we understood we needed to know every market intimately. That meant travelling, listening, and building the right relationships.”
A defining principle became a “one recipient per market” strategy — ensuring focus, accountability, and strong commercial partnerships.
“Success comes from matching the right product to the right market at the right price. Everything we built was designed around that discipline.”
Hughes says Tru-Cape has remained consistent in its purpose of serving growers.
“We were always focused on one shareholder group — the growers. That clarity shaped every decision.”
A stronger value chain and diversified global footprint
According to Roelf Pienaar, managing director, Tru-Cape has evolved from a marketing organisation into a fully integrated value-chain partner.
“Today we actively align orchard production with global consumer demand. It’s no longer just about selling fruit — it’s about managing varieties, optimising returns, and building resilient markets.”
Over the past two decades, Tru-Cape has significantly diversified its footprint, with strong growth in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, alongside deeper retail relationships in Europe and the United Kingdom.
Strategic investments have expanded logistical reach and market responsiveness. These include a partnership in Link Supply Chain Management (in 2008), an investment in GF Marketing in the Middle East (in 2014), the establishment of a distribution centre in City Deep, Johannesburg (2015), and an investment in Fruit Box in East Africa (2020).
“Brand strength now ensures year-round presence in key markets, which creates stability even in volatile conditions,” Pienaar says.
Grower ownership and long-term resilience
Derek Corder, a producer in Grabouw and Tru-Cape board member, says Tru-Cape gave producers a platform that enlarged their market presence and strengthened their capability for year-round supply.
“It gave growers global relevance, stronger bargaining power, and access to better structured, programme-based markets. Tru-Cape has also increasingly moved away from a one-size-fits-all approach to more optimised market access for the entire range of sizes, grades and price points, and quality in the apple and pear bin, creating value for growers.”
He adds that scale has enabled smarter production decisions across the industry.
“Growers now have far better visibility of long-term market demand, which informs orchard decisions that take decades to realise.”
Innovation and industry leadership
Across the industry, Tru-Cape has driven innovation in cultivars, rootstocks, packhouse automation, cold chain systems and data-driven decision-making using AI and machine learning. These advances have improved efficiency, reduced losses, and strengthened alignment between production and global demand.
A legacy of stability and growth
Over 25 years, Tru-Cape’s greatest contribution has probably been the stability it provided in a post-deregulation environment, while investing consistently in infrastructure, people, and market development.
Graaff concludes: “Tru-Cape’s strength is not only in its growth, but in its people. Strong governance, long-term relationships, and continuity have built something trusted and durable.”
Looking ahead
With exports to 108 countries and a growing presence in emerging markets, Tru-Cape enters its next chapter with strong momentum.
Pienaar says the future is defined by continued expansion and adaptability.
“What excites me most is the prospect of exponential growth, as our packing capacity at both Ceres Fruit Growers and Two-a-Day is expanding. It puts us in an incredible position for the next quarter of a century,” he says.
“We have built a company that has proven it can adapt to whatever challenges the global environment presents. That resilience is what will carry Tru-Cape into the future.”
For more information, please contact Lucille Botha at lucilleb@tru-cape.co.za or visit www.tru-cape.com. Follow Tru-Cape on X (@TruCapeFruit), Facebook (@Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing), TikTok (@trucape), and Instagram (@trucapefruit).
