About Us
OVERVIEW
Consistently superior... successful delivery
Capespan Continent is the rock in the roll of global fruit marketing.
Freshness, quality, variety and service are the hallmarks of our successful fresh produce and fruit-related marketing. It’s all about consistently superior delivery 365 days a year. That’s the power behind our promise.
Through a blend of marketing intelligence, technical product advice, category strategies, innovation, formidable logistics and cutting-edge information systems, renowned brands such as Cape, Outspan, Fyffes and Bella Nova benefit throughout Europe. Capespan products are delivered to 40 countries - from the north of Scandinavia to the southern Mediterranean and from the west of Ireland to the steppes of Russia.
Producer partners in South Africa are the origin of our sourcing expertise. However, we’ve raised the bar. Thus, our services now are in demand from producers in other parts of Africa, New Zealand, Europe, various Mediterranean regions, as well as South, Central and North America.
SERVICE SOLUTIONS
Refreshingly innovative... a wow in our service
LEAST COST DISTRIBUTION
Capespan and its alliance partners operate from hi-tech warehousing and logistical facilities at maritime and hinterland terminals across Europe. Purpose-built refrigerated cold stores provide 50 000 pallet spots of storage for direct deliveries throughout Europe.
The skill of our quality assurance and control teams is legendary. All elements of the operating process from discharge and warehouse management to loading onto vehicles are computer controlled. This allows not only minimum handling, but traceability and management of fruit throughout the chain.
Our logistics companies take care of forwarding, customs clearing, invoicing and cash collection services. They also can arrange for processing needs (ripening, netting, bagging, etc) - whether through their dedicated facilities or our alliance partners.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
To exceed expectations from the increasingly discriminating European audience, we continue strengthening our position by developing new commercial varieties. To this end, comprehensive product development programmes involves both producer and international business partners. Already, the programmes are improving the range of sought-after varieties and introducing exciting new cultivars.
QUALITY CONTROL
The considerable international success of the Outspan, Cape and Bella Nova brands is the result of Capespan’s culture of quality. Temperature and humidity environments are monitored continuously during transit from orchard to counter, with most cargoes entering Europe through state-of-the-art facilities at strategically located ports with proven handling expertise.
On arrival, every pallet is checked and classified by a team of quality managers before being loaded onto road transport destined for the retail shelf.
TECHNICAL ADVICE
Capespan's technical advisory teams work with producer partners throughout production, with particular care taken during pre-harvest for optimum maturity.
In addition, we also work with the technical staff of our major business partners to guarantee consistently exceptional quality at retail level.
ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH
We make sure that our producers are keenly aware of their responsibility to the environment. This care extends into the health aspects of fruit production. A guideline programme incorporates Integrated Fruit Production (IFP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The programmes are designed to reduce environmental stress by employing natural, sympathetic biological systems in the production of crops. That’s not all. As ‘safe food’ requirements rise, Capespan is well ahead by delivering fruit conforming to the strictest regulations imposed by any global authority.
SOCIAL AWARENESS
All Capespan’s producer partners have to commit to fair and equitable working practices as part of their integrated quality management systems.
Furthermore, we’re passionate about our social responsibility initiatives that contribute to worker empowerment and training in the fruit industry.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Our systems provide fingertip information on the status of any fruit consignment within the organisation. Using up-to-the-minute technology, we’ve developed applications to support a variety of services:
- a data warehouse for information on the flow of product through Capespan
- a communications network for easy connection and information transfer to both producers, business partners, service providers and customers
- ERP systems, tailored to balance customer service, efficiency and costs
- an internet portal site with information on our products and services
- intranet to share key information within the company, and extranets to share information with customers and suppliers, including web-based stock tracking and sales reporting to producer partners
GLOBAL PROCUREMENT
Exciting new origins... year-round availability
New origins are being integrated into our portfolio non-stop. Confident in these important supply sources, we allow our world-class brand names to be used on their products. The year-round offering comprises deciduous, citrus and exotic fruit from leasing production areas throughout the world.
Capespan is particularly active in a number of developing economies where substantial growth in exports will take place in the coming years - countries such as China, Turkey, Egypt and Brazil. Meanwhile, we have an established network of high-quality, like-minded producer partners in the traditional supply origins.
Dialogue between Capespan, our trading and producer business partners is paramount to the science of fresh produce marketing and logistics. Therefore, with top-level technical producer support to meet and often exceed product requirements, Capespan is a partner of choice.
SOUTH AFRICA
In the south-western region, the mild climate, diversity of unique micro-climatic areas and varying soil conditions yield around 180 varieties of deciduous fruit.
From the north of Mozambique, along the eastern regions of Southern Africa, right down to the Cape, Outspan citrus is produced in climates ranging from hot to moderately cool. Our Outspan Citrus Centre provides extensive pre- and post-harvest services to growers. The result is a wide portfolio of the highest quality citrus fruit over the maximum time scale.
Bella Nova's range of subtropical fruit is grown in widely varying climatic conditions in a variety of locations. Mangoes, litchis and avocados hail from the subtropical climate of northern Natal and the northern end of Mpumalanga.
ARGENTINA/BRAZIL
These countries produce the finest Outspan lemons from Tucuman, seedless grapes such as Superior, Red Globe and Italia, as well as mangoes.
CHILE
Delicious Clementines/Navels, plus Red Globe, Royal Gala and Thompson Seedless grapes are sourced from Chile.
CHINA
Decidedly exotic produce is obtained here, including garlic, Chinese Fuji apples, ginger and Ya pears.
EGYPT
This up-and-coming market produces white seedless grapes and Navels/Valencias.
MEXICO
Mangoes, grapefruit and grapes of excellent quality come from this valuable source.
NEW ZEALAND
This country is generally acknowledged for producing some of the world’s finest bi-colour apples. That’s why we’re happy to offer Royal Gala apples from New Zealand.
TURKEY
We have great expectations of this source of lemons, grapefruit and Minneolas.
USA/CANADA
Florida grapefruit, red apples, US Crimson grapes, lemons and mangoes from the USA/Canada bridge the gap to ensure availability 365 days of the year.
ZIMBABWE
Freshgold citrus and lemons from Zimbabwe are becoming sought-after throughout Europe.
