US-based food delivery group GrubMarket has acquired South African fresh fruit exporters Global Produce.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Global Produce supplies fresh fruit to retail, foodservice, wholesalers and e-commerce customers in 44 countries across Asia and the Middle East.
It exports South African bananas, apples, cherries, butternut squash, and plums, as well as “exotic” products, including Belgian PiqaBoo pears and Malaysian dragon fruit, among others.
Headquartered in Cape Town, the business has suppliers in South Africa, as well as countries including Namibia, Morocco, Egypt, New Zealand and Australia..
Reflecting on the acquisition, Mike Xu, the CEO of GrubMarket, said it “marks a pivotal moment” for the company “as we continue expanding our physical presence internationally and ramping up our operations in South Africa”.
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By GlobalDataJust Food has asked GrubMarket to confirm whether Global Produce is its first purchase in South Africa.
As part of the transaction, Global Produce will gain access to GrubMarket’s “AI-powered WholesaleWare software suite”, providing it with financial management services, online ordering and sales support.
The platform also provides inventory management, lot traceability (allowing manufacturers to track product batches), grower accounting tools and automated route planning for logistics and distribution.
Global Produce founder, owner and director Rutger van Wolfen said: “We are proud to represent GrubMarket in South Africa, and we look forward to expanding GrubMarket’s global reach and bringing more South African fruits to GrubMarket’s end customers.”
The San Francisco-headquartered group delivers fresh produce to foodservice, retail and public sector spaces via its global network of wholesalers and distributors.
It serves all 50 US states, as well as Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, South Africa India, and Spain.
In 2019, GrubMarket was backed by a $100m venture capital fund from Evolv Ventures, which is run by the US food major Kraft Heinz.
