Capespan has further extended its operations in Namibia with the establishment of a new export entity, Capespan Namibia, in partnership with Namibian entrepreneur and businessman John Endjala of the J&P Group.
The move means the group is now firmly entrenched in a country that, in recent years, has considerably expanded its exports of table grapes from its southern regions. The establishment of Capespan Namibia is expected to boost further investment in produce farming in the region.
Mr Endjala, who was elected chairman of Capespan Namibia, said the vision is to grow the company. 'Thus we will be looking to invest further in Namibian produce farming opportunities, which should create much needed jobs and generate foreign income,' he said.
The Capespan Group recently concluded a 10-year marketing and management agreement with the Namibian National Youth Service (NYS) to manage the Namibia Grape Company (NGC), a table grape farm at Aussenkehr in the south of the country, as part of a skills transfer process.
The Namibian ministry of lands and resettlement previously transferred NGC to the NYS to administer as part of its asset portfolio.
Since then, Capespan has returned the NGC farm to profitability. The group's statement said the parties involved would continue to invest at least N$2m (€183,000) per year on capital projects to ensure that the grape farm is fully developed within 10 years.
Meanwhile, a social development trust has also been established to focus on the social needs of the Aussenkehr community and NGC employees, with each party contributing N$500,000 (€46,000) to the cause.
