Two leading South African groups have formed a joint marketing venture, named Suiderland/New Vision, and have received a license to market table grape varieties developed by Sun World International, the group's vice-president of International
Licensing Johan Jooste has announced.
New Vision is an export company owned by Piet Karsten and Suiderland Plase is a grower-packer-exporter company owned by the Neethling and du Preez families, with both families longstanding and leading producers of Sun World grape varieties in the country.
The new venture will be jointly managed by Pieter Karsten Jr and Steyn Neethling, and it marketing fruit from their own vineyards as well as from licensed Sun World producers.
The venture complements four existing South African marketers – Capespan, The Grape Co., Dole South Africa and Green Marketing – in exporting a wide range of seedless
grape varieties developed by Sun World.
'Suiderland and New Vision have solid production capacity and keen marketing expertise,' said Jooste. 'Each is recognised internationally, and within South Africa, as accomplished grape specialists and we're pleased to bring them into the Sun World family of marketers.'
The Suiderland/New Vision joint venture, along with the other four South African marketer
licensees, are part of a larger international network of 20 marketing companies licensed to handle Sun World grape varieties, including Peviani, DiDonna and Apofruit (Italy); El Ciruelo (Spain); Vale de Rosa (Portugal); TALI Grapes (Israel); Perfection Fresh and Grape Exchange (Australia); Dole Chile, Subsole, Unifrutti and Frutera Santa Maria (Chile); and Special Fruit, Katope and VDS (Brazil).
The grapes to be marketed include a wide range of white, red and black seedless varieties sold under private trademarks and brands such as Midnight Beauty, Scarlotta Seedless and Sable Seedless, as well as the Sugraone variety grape that is marketed by Sun World and its licensees under the superior seedless trademark.
