The Western Cape and South African fruit industry has lost one of its most respected and colourful leaders with the death of Leo Mayne Fine at the age of 78.
A fruit man in the true sense of the word, Leo Fine was one of two Fine brothers who became legends of the fresh produce industry. He virtually grew up in his father, Israel Fine’s market agency, ‘Fine Brothers’ at the Cape Town Wholesale market, where his equally well-known brother, Mishie, continued to run the family business when Leo entered fruit farming in the Elgin Valley in 1945.
Leo Fine was a humble man, well-loved by his farm workers and staff at Fine Farms, a model fruit grower and crucial member of the local community. His service to the local community included serving many years on the boards of the Groenland Irrigation Board, the Elgin Cooperative and Kromco, one of the region’s leading fruit packers. He also served as chairman of all three organisations. He had numerous other designations with local associations and boards - always to enhance opportunities for the Elgin Valley, his people on the farm and the fruit industry as a whole.
Leo Fine became chairman of the Deciduous Fruit Board, South Africa’s single channel export marketing board in 1983 at a time when the export industry increasingly came under pressure due to the country’s Apartheid policies. His term was initially dominated by political action which saw the industry loose its markets in North America, Scandinavia and Ireland, and faced boycott actions by consumers in certain other countries.
During this period he presided over the privatization of the industry from a marketing board to a private company, when first the Universal Fruit Co-op was formed in October 1987. When Unifruco Ltd came into existence two years later, he became its first chairman. He also led the establishment of a sound international structure for the marketing of South African fruit and set up joint structures with the South African citrus industry in Western Europe to improve efficiencies and service to customers. His commitment to the Cape brand established it as South Africa’s best known consumer brand. Despite sanctions, Cape fruit was recognised as the best there is and Leo Fine so eloquently represented those same values as he contributed to building this brand.
As first chairman of Vinfruco Ltd he also spearheaded a new partnership between fruit and wine growers to establish a wine exporting company and a top range of wines, including one of South Africa’s top selling wine brands.
It says much for his dedication that despite political turmoil and loss of markets, the fruit industry experienced some of its most profitable times during his tenure. When Leo Fine became the leader of the South African export fruit industry in 1983, the industry exported 22 million cartons of fruit with a value of R269m. On his retirement in 1992 the industry surpassed 40m cartons and a turnover of R1,5 billion.
Throughout this period he faced the political battles with equal enthusiasm as dealing with the matters of fruit growing and marketing. He was equally comfortable in the company of United States senators and congressmen, and European and British Prime Ministers and political leaders, as he championed the case of the fruit industry and its vital role as job creator in South Africa. And at wholesale markets in Los Angeles, New York, Covent Garden in London, Rungis in Paris and in Hong Kong, he spoke to and understood the fruit traders as well as dealing with senior executives of the world’s powerful retail groups.
During the last years of the PW Botha era he strongly supported a Unifruco-led campaign for the release of President Mandela and celebrated with everyone else as South Africa emerged from its isolation during the early 1990’s.
It was fitting that in 1992, when he retired, he celebrated 100 years of South African fruit exports with fruit growers and customers and staff around the world. And he witnessed the changes in Eastern Europe, including the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the expansion of the European Union that would create new impetus for the South African industry.
When he retired from the international fruit business to devote more time to his local community involvement, his farm and his family, he did it with the wise comments of a seasoned campaigner - “Like a sensible world boxing champion, you should leave when you are still well-liked and respected.”
So Leo Fine came home to his valley to continue being the model farmer that he was, a modest man much loved by his family and his people, ‘a farmer to the end’ as his son Peter describes him. At the beginning of the 1980’s the people of Fine Farms already knew that he cared for them. The crèche on the farm, the Israel Fine Community Centre, the modern houses and old age home, and the excellent facilities for seasonal workers, most built 20 years ago when the New South Africa was not even a distant glimmer, was inspirational.
Through it all Leo Fine never lost sight of the important things in life. He always had time for other people’s problems, how insignificant they may have been. He loved his golf and the annual Sun City Million Dollar tournaments became an annual crusade - as did the Wednesday or Saturday afternoon outings with his friends on the local courses.
And then there was the immense pride in his family - of Marcia, who died in 1999, and the children - Jonathan and his family in who live in California, Susan and her husband in Boston, Harry and his family in Sydney and Peter, who works on the farm, and his family in Cape Town. And Patricia, whom he married in 2001 and whom he spent such happy times with during the past four years. Leo cherished them all and spoke with love, pride and excitement of new developments in their lives.
Finally, one probably learns the most about someone when you listen to the people who shared his private and business life with him: Maatje Elman of the Groenland Irrigation Board described working with Leo Fine as an unforgettable experience. “When so many attempts to get the government to build the Eikenhofdam in Elgin to solve the area’s water problems failed, Leo Fine said ‘if they cannot make up their minds, let’s build our own dam.” He managed to do just that! He had such a ‘positive and joyful spirit and brightened our lives with his weekly visits - he never forgot birthdays and Christmas and there was always a box of my special toffees.”
Frank O’Driscoll, managing director at Molteno Brothers, a large Elgin apple producer and packer, wrote in 1988 of the ‘many sacrifices’ Leo Fine made on behalf of fruit growers and the ‘extremely difficult’ circumstances he had to endure.
Susan Fine spoke of the ‘very modest man who always had time for everyone and who always listened to even the smallest problem.’ “Leo was just that - a family man and a people person, despite all the international exposure and pressure!”
Louis Kriel, chief executive of the DFB, Universal Fruit Co-op and Unifruco Ltd during Leo Fine’s chairmanship and someone who experienced all the ups and down’s of his tenure with him, says even before he joined the DFB he was told of “one of the smartest guys on the Board who was a friendly and very competent ‘Boerejood’ from Elgin and who had great commercial feel for the fruit business.”
“During this period the fruit industry experienced its toughest political challenges. The Cape Fruit Industry survived this difficult phase due in no small measure to their fair employment practices on farms and various initiatives to improve the quality of life of all participants in the industry. Leo Fine set a great example to fellow growers.”
“Leo Fine will be remembered as a loyal friend and leader, always friendly and courteous, with a great sense of humor and a culture of integrity. Above all he was a darn good fruit farmer.” Bokkie Thiersen, manager at Fine Farms, talks of the privilege of having known Leo Fine for 22 years and the lessons he have learnt from him. “He was not only a kind and generous advisor and employer, but was a father figure to us all.”
He is survived by his second wife Patricia, three sons, a daughter and nine grandchildren.
Compiled by Fred Meintjes
(With help from many people and recalling many personal experiences)
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