Empowerment for farm workers
2005-09-01
The Grapes 2U Black Economic Empowerment project was recently established by Jan Le Roux Boerdery, a table grape enterprise which includes workers from local farms Mooikelder, Joubertsdal, Sandrivier and Broodkraal (Piketberg).
Le Roux’s vision was to establish an empowerment project for the loyal farm workforce on his estates. Shares in the company will be made available to them by means of subsidies from government and NGOs.
In addition, shareholding will be linked to the value-adding facilities and marketing skills of an established table grape exporter.
Fruit 2U, nestled between Wellington and Paarl, has established good export markets in America, Japan, Taiwan and Europe. It should be possible for the BEE-project to successfully market an empowerment label in these markets.
The project has been the result of lengthy consultation with all the parties involved, particularly the representatives of the beneficiaries.
After finalising the consultation process with government, NGOs locally and abroad, they will buy out 32% shares worth 48 million rands from the IDC (Industrial Development Corporation).
The initial shareholding in the private company Broodkraal Landgoed consists of Normandie Trust (68%), Grapes 2U Trust (27%) and Broodkraal Foundation Trust (5%).
This provides for the workers’ companies to buy out shareholding from the other shareholders once growing and showing profit.
The establishment of the project has also made ample provision for the necessary training, support and mentorship which are still in a
consultation process.
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