Elaine Alexander, the long-standing chief executive of South African table grape industry organisation SATI, is leaving the organisation this month.
She will be replaced by management consultant Willem Bestbier, who starts in his new position next week.
Alexander’s intended departure from SATI has been an open secret for almost a year, but she had not quite fixed a date until late last year.
She played a prominent role in developing the South African table grape industry’s focus on diversification into new markets, particular gaining access to China. This culmaninated late last year in the final approval by China of the South African list of suppliers which has been approved for exports into the Asian country during the coming season.
Johan van Niekerk, chairman of SATI, confirmed that Bestbier – well-known in the South African table grape and wine industries – would be replacing Alexander.
Before starting his own management consultant company in 2011, Bestbier headed the South African wine company, KWV’s Sales and Marketing Division, as well as serving as operations director of the Colors Fruit Group from 2008 through to 2011. He also holds BSc Agriculture (Viticulture & Oenology) and MBA degrees from Stellenbosch University.
SATI said in a statement that it was pleased to welcome Bestbier and that his priority was to provide support to the industry and all its stakeholders in order to create and unlock sustainable value.
“Innovation and progress must be driven constantly whilst maintaining conservative values,” read the statement.
Meanwhile SATI’s latest update on export volumes clearly shows the effect of a later season and some inclement weather on shipments.
In general, volumes packed for all markets up to week 52 are the lowest since 2011. In total 11.9m cartons have been packed up to week 52, compared to 13.5m cartons last year and 15.2m cartons in 2012. In 2011 the industry had packed 15.6m cartons by the end of week 52.
Shipments to northern Europe so far this year are marginally up, while volumes shipped to the UK up to week 52 were more than 50 per cent down on last year. All other shipping destinations also showed considerable drops in volumes.
With the early regions now heading to the end of their packing season and the Western Cape areas in the Berg River Valley and the Hex River Valley starting their seasons, it is expected that volumes will increase dramatically in the weeks ahead.
