Our Vision

The expansion of share holding for employees of the company.

To further optimize productivity in order to increase profits.

Develop products and markets that will enable us to create jobs and employ more people during the year and not only during the grape picking season.

We are committed to building volume growth, increasing value for all our stakeholders, and using our successes to the benefit of all. In the company’s five-year financial plan expansions of 100ha’s per year are being planned for table grapes, dates, melons and sweet melons and other fruit.

Further objectives of the Karsten Group are ensuring that the Group keep the ‘edge’ on the competition through focusing on:

• Competitive Edge
• Diversification/Strategic Management
• Optimal use of water

Competitive Edge

The Group has acquired the following competitive advantages:

Production

* The Group is both a high quality and high quantity producer of table grapes enabling it to supply the top end of the international retail market with table grapes through the whole of the South African grape window.

* As the biggest producer of dates in the Southern Hemisphere, the Group is in a position to control the supply of date volume to the main date markets.

Marketing and logistics

The marketing and logistical management of all table grape exports are under the control of Pieter Karsten Jnr who has build up relationships and direct supply arrangements with the main players in the UK and European retail markets.

Finance

The Group is financially strong and secure and is supported by both local South African as well as international financial institutions in its international expansion activities.

Training , Education and Social Welfare

Programs include:

• The provision of crèche facilities on all the farms for 170 pre-school children
• The provision of adult literacy classes
• The provision of skill based training courses
• The provision of leadership training to selected high potential individuals
• The provision of low interest loans to students with parents employed by the Group
• The supply of housing to all employees
• The operation of a comprehensive healthcare plan through the provision of clinics on all farms
• The provision of recreation facilities and transport that allows staff to attend sport and social activities
• The running of a HIV/ Aids program
 
Diversification/Strategic Management

The risk profile of the Group has been reduced through

• spreading primary production areas over a wider geographical region in South Africa
• the creation of a fruit basket of table grapes, dates, apples, pears, citrus, sweet melons, watermelons, cherries and blueberries
• the establishment of table grape production units in Egypt together with the establishment of packing and cooling facilities in Egypt
• the creation of service entities that can handle fresh produces both in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
  Diversification/Strategic Management

Optimal use of water

We combine local innovation and knowledge of the land with international expertise in various growth areas with a strong emphasis on procedures to utilize water optimally. All vineyards are equipped with micro irrigation systems.

• Melons, sweet melons and vegetables are irrigated by drip irrigation.
• Dates are irrigated by either micro-irrigation or by flood irrigation.
• Irrigation on all farms is done according to a water-scheduling program.
• The company obtained its own weather station and introduced a weather computer program for processing data to forecast any diseases or pests.