Saving Ashton’s Canned Fruit Industry | Ep. 137
In this episode of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie speak to André Kemp, Investment Manager at Norfund, about agri-investment, Southern African entrepreneurship, and the remarkable story behind the future of Langeberg Foods.The conversation focuses strongly on the Langeberg & Ashton Foods transaction, a major development for South Africa’s deciduous fruit and agri-processing sector. For many years, the Ashton fruit-processing facility has played a critical role in the local economy, providing a market for growers, supporting thousands of seasonal and permanent jobs, and supplying canned fruit and fruit-based products to export markets around the world.André explains how Norfund approaches investment in Southern Africa, including its focus areas such as renewable energy, financial inclusion, green infrastructure, scalable enterprises, and agri-manufacturing. He also discusses why agriculture remains such an important sector for investment: it connects production, processing, logistics, export markets, employment, and community development.A major part of the discussion unpacks the complexity of keeping a large agri-processing business operational. Unlike many other businesses, fruit processing requires significant working capital in a short seasonal window. Fruit must be bought, processed, packed, shipped and sold, often with substantial exposure to export markets and foreign exchange movements. For a business like Langeberg Foods, the challenge was not only about acquiring assets, but about putting the right capital, management team, grower alignment and long-term ownership structure in place.Beyond the Langeberg Foods story, the conversation also looks at Norfund’s broader role in Southern Africa, including investments in renewable energy and businesses across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi. André shares his view that Southern Africa has exceptional entrepreneurs and that export-focused agriculture remains one of the continent’s strongest opportunities.Key themes in this episode include:•Norfund’s investment mandate in Southern Africa•The role of development finance in agriculture and manufacturing•Why agri-processing is vital for growers and rural towns•The Langeberg Foods transaction and the future of Ashton’s canned fruit industry•Working capital and the seasonal pressure of fruit processing•Export markets, private label products and South African canned fruit•Community ownership and farmer-led investment structures•Renewable energy and broader investment opportunities in the region•Why African agriculture still has major export potential•The importance of doing the basics well in agriculture and businessThis is a conversation about more than one factory. It is about what happens when growers, investors, financiers, management teams and communities come together around an asset that still has strategic value.For anyone interested in agriculture, agri-processing, investment, rural economies, export markets or the future of food production in Southern Africa, this episode provides a detailed look at how capital can be used to protect value, unlock growth, and support long-term resilience.Subscribe to the Lucentlands Podcast for more conversations with leaders, specialists and decision-makers across agriculture, food systems, fresh produce, agri-business and rural development.Connect with us:Website: https://lucentlands.co.za/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucentlandsmedia/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucentlandsmediaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lucentlandsmedia/Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/lucentlandspodcastSupport this podcast by buying us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/lucentlands?new=1This podcast is proudly sponsored by Agrarius. Find out more: https://www.agrarius.co.za/?ref=recR9vP8u5CYfEOek&utm_source=lucentlands&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=LucentLandsPromo
