“The Southern Africa Conference is a truly vibrant and engaging event where growers, exporters, retailers, wholesalers, market agents, and many more throughout the supply chain convene to make strategic connections and exchange new ideas,” said Stephanie van der Walt, regional manager for the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Southern Africa.
“This year, we’re thrilled that attendees will get to enjoy a variety of new networking and education opportunities as they gain first-hand insights into global trends and business opportunities in the produce industry.”
Conference sessions will include the state of the industry, perspectives on the industry’s future, global trends and African strategies for optimising fresh produce logistics, global supply chain disruptions and how they are being addressed by the Global Produce Coalition, and Top 10 global consumer trends for 2023.
On 1 August, the conference will kick off with the executive leadership summit, followed by a members-only VIP reception that evening.
IFPA’s CEO, Cathy Burns, will give a state of the industry address on 2 August. Burns will present the latest global information and research and what it means to the supply chain in Southern Africa.
Bruce Whitfield, multi-award-winning journalist and bestselling author, will lead a panel of industry thought leaders in a discussion, ‘Shaping the future of our industry: Industry perspectives on current issues’.
Panelists include:
- Tommie van Zyl, chief executive director of ZZ2;
- Paulina Criticos, chief executive director of Westfalia Fruit for the EMEA Region;
- Charl du Bois, commercial head for the citrus, pome fruit and table grape teams responsible for global procurement and sales for Capespan;
- Tamara Muruetagoiena, director of sustainability of IFPA.
Later that day, attendees will hear from experts at Imperial Clearing and Forwarding South Africa about global trends and African strategies for optimising fresh produce logistics, and what is being done to combat some of the infrastructure challenges.
The third and final day of the conference will kick off with the ‘Women’s Fresh Perspectives Breakfast’. During the seated breakfast, a mix of industry newcomers and seasoned veterans will enjoy the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences. Burns will moderate a panel with thought leaders discussing how they overcame challenges, built support systems, and continue to strive to be better.
Panellists include:
- Paulina Criticos, chief executive director of Westfalia Fruit for the EMEA Region;
- Mbali Nwoko, chief executive director of Green Terrace;
- Marianna du Plessis, director at AgriNetwork-Consult.
After the breakfast session, Robert Guenther, chief public policy officer, and the IFPA representative on the Global Fresh Produce Coalition steering committee, will lead a discussion on the challenges the Global Produce Coalition addresses and how companies can work together to manage this complex environment.
The Global Produce Coalition was formed to deal with global supply chain disruptions for fresh produce production and trade (in particular increasing costs), which have led to concerns about the economic model of the sector and its capacity to provide cost-effective fresh fruit and vegetables to support food security and health.
The conference’s final session will focus on the Top 10 global consumer trends for 2023. Rubab Abdoolla, a Euromonitor consultant, will explain how to use consumer trends analysis to stay competitive and grow sales in the year ahead and beyond.
By exploring these trends, you will be able to determine which specific trends impact your categories, understand what is happening and get inspired by seeing how businesses/brands respond.
For more information and to register, visit our website at freshproduce.com. For questions about the event, contact Stephanie van der Walt at e-mail: [email protected].
