South Africa-based fruit supplier Capespan has appointed a new chief executive as part of a series of changes to its senior management.
The company has named commercial director and board member André de Klerk as CEO with immediate effect.
He succeeds Charl du Bois, who has stepped down after a period in which Capespan said it delivered “strong growth and performance”.
Cape Town-headquartered Capespan said de Klerk has been part of the company’s senior management team for 14 years, positioning him well to lead the group into its “next phase of growth”.
De Klerk said: “I look forward to building on the strong foundation established by the current leadership team and to working with our people to continue delivering sustainable growth and maximising value for our customers and producers.”
Du Bois has spent ten years at Capespan, with the last one year and nine months at the helm of the business. He said in a LinkedIn post he is leaving to “explore other interesting personal opportunities”.
Capespan board chairman Reinhardt Siegrühn said: “The board wishes to express its appreciation to Charl and Jolanda for their contribution to Capespan during a period of strong operational and commercial progress.
“We thank them for their leadership and commitment to the Group and wish them every success in their future endeavours.”
As part of the broader reshuffle, Capespan CFO Jolanda van Heerden will also leave the business.
The company added the finance function will now be jointly overseen by divisional finance heads Fia Karstens and Albert Steyn.
The fruit marketer has also appointed Bernie Denton, the head of the group’s farming division, as chief operating officer and a board member. Denton has been with the company for 12 years.
Capespan is owned by Agrarius Agri Value Chain RF Proprietary-backed special-purpose acquisition vehicle 3 Sisters, which acquired a 93% stake in the fresh produce supplier in 2023.
The group particularly specialises in citrus, grapes and pome fruit, marketing produce to more than 60 countries.
