What began with a shipment of pineapples to the Seychelles has grown into a Southern African export business connecting local growers with buyers in more than 17 international markets. For Iris Fresh founder Sandeep Valodia, the ambition extends well beyond fresh produce…
It started with a modest investment, a consignment of pineapples and a rather expensive lesson in international trade. When South African entrepreneur Sandeep Valodia attempted his first fresh produce export to the Seychelles, he lost approximately R20 000, having underestimated the complexities of getting fruit across borders.
Rather than walk away, he decided to make the money back. Today, the business he started with around R25 000 has grown into Iris Fresh, a Cape Town-based exporter specialising in premium berries, speciality vegetables and exotic fruit, supplying buyers in more than 17 international markets across Asia, Middle East, Europe and Africa.
For Valodia, a chemical engineering graduate from the University of Cape Town who went on to work in banking and strategy consulting, the move into agriculture was unexpected. But the opportunity was clear: Southern Africa produces exceptional fresh produce, yet many growers lack the commercial connections and expertise to access international markets.
“I’ve always been interested in building businesses that solve real problems,” says Valodia. “With Iris Fresh, I saw an opportunity to connect what our region already does exceptionally well with international demand. If we can build a commercially successful business while helping growers expand and creating employment along the way, that’s where the real value lies.”
More than moving produce
While Iris Fresh operates as an exporter, its role extends considerably further than buying and selling fruit and vegetables. Working with growers across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, the company helps navigate everything from international market requirements and consumer preferences to export specifications, quality control and logistics. Where necessary, it also guides growers towards meeting export standards.
The business specialises in high-value, niche crops rather than competing in the volume-driven commodity market. Its portfolio includes blueberries and strawberries, marketed under its Berry Blossom brand, alongside speciality vegetables and tropical fruit.
One of its key differentiators is the ability to consolidate multiple products from different growing regions into mixed consignments, giving international buyers greater variety through a single export partner. Careful coordination, responsive communication and a low claims rate have helped establish longstanding commercial relationships.
“Farmers understand their land, their crops and how to grow exceptional produce. But growing something and successfully selling it internationally are two very different things,” explains Valodia. “Our role is to understand what buyers want, help growers meet those expectations and manage the complexities in between. The strongest relationships are the ones where we grow together.”
Those complexities are considerable. Highly perishable produce requires meticulous planning, from harvesting and packing to temperature-controlled transportation and international distribution. A punnet of Southern African blueberries on a Hong Kong supermarket shelf represents far more than a successful harvest.
Growing together, across borders
Valodia’s early involvement with Zimbabwean blueberry growers illustrates the value of long-term partnerships. When he began working with them approximately five years ago, the country’s blueberries were relatively unfamiliar to many international buyers; today, their growing recognition reflects the opportunities available when quality produce finds the right route to market.
For Iris Fresh, building those connections also supports employment beyond its own team, across farms, packhouses, transport networks and other businesses involved in the export process.
It is an approach shaped by Valodia’s wider entrepreneurial experience. Alongside Iris Fresh, he co-founded renewable energy business Wetility, applying the same belief that commercially resilient businesses can create meaningful economic opportunities.
The next chapter
Having established an international trading business, Valodia is now focused on strengthening its systems, expanding priority markets and building an organisation capable of scaling beyond its founder.
He has begun exploring agro-processing opportunities, with a focus on creating higher-value products such as berry-based beverages and avocado oil from lower-grade produce. The aim is to reduce waste, unlock additional value from Southern Africa’s agricultural output, and create new opportunities for local employment.
“There’s enormous potential in African agriculture, but we need to think beyond simply growing and exporting raw produce,” he says. “Whether it’s better access to markets, stronger supply chains or processing more of what we produce locally, there are opportunities to build businesses that are both profitable and genuinely valuable to the communities around them.”
For a business that began with one unsuccessful shipment of pineapples, it’s an ambitious outlook. But Valodia has already demonstrated that opportunity isn’t always about creating something new… sometimes, it’s about recognising the value of what’s already there – and finding a better way to take it to the world.
