FRUIT INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION WORKING GROUP – ANNUAL REVIEW 2019

Fruit South Africa and the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD)
established the Fruit Industry Value Chain Round Table (FIVCRT) as a valuable platform that brings together
government; parastatals; the fruit industry and civil society for fruitful engagement and speedy resolution of issues2.
Constituting a dialogue process amongst industry stakeholders, the FIVCRT is aimed at fostering collaborative
actions amongst stakeholders to help secure an enduring competitive advantage for the fruit sector. Its work is
streamlined into five working groups focusing on employment and worker welfare; transformation; research and
development; trade and market access, and resources and infrastructure.

The purpose of the Transformation Working Group (TWG), led by Mr Anton Rabe, is to facilitate, monitor, measure
and report on the agreed transformation plan and targets, and where required, to collectively work towards
unblocking constraints as they occur from time to time. This would ensure the entry and sustainable participation of
black3 South Africans (including the youth), in the fruit value chain. The TWG focuses on the economic development
and growth dimensions of transformation required for a sustainable and profitable business to address ownership;
enterprise and supplier development; management and control, and increasing the availability of black and skilled
human capital in the primary and secondary fruit industry.

The FIVCRT TWG published its first annual review in 2019, which summarised industry initiatives for 2017 and
2018. This latest document is an executive summary of the second report, which reflects the Fruit SA member
associations’ transformation programmes and achievements for 2019. These industries represent producers
and exporters of citrus fruit, pome (apples and pears) and stone fruits (plums, prunes, peaches, nectarines, and
apricots), subtropical fruits (avocados, litchis and mangoes) and table grapes.

Since the 2017-18 review, good progress has been made, including the adoption of the fruit industry transformation
strategy. The strategy provides clarity and certainty about the industry’s approach to transformation, with key
stepping stones to measure and track progress over time. It also represents a call to action by all stakeholders
(including industry players, government and labour) to take active steps to contribute towards the fruit industry
transformation process and to jointly unlock some of the constraints that have been identified at various levels.

Download your copy here: 2019-transformation-wg-annual-review-executive-summary