The Joburg Market will spend a chunk of its budget on recapitalising the business, refurbishing infrastructure and implementing a digital strategy to enable online purchases.
Other plans in the pipeline include building additional cold storage facilities, expanding the Mandela Market, refurbishing the packaging hub and installing free Wi-Fi to keep market consumers connected to the internet.
These were the sentiments of Joburg Market Chief Executive Ayanda Kanana at the 9th annual Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Fresh Connections.
Billed as Southern Africa’s biggest trade show and conference, the PMA Fresh Connections event ran from Tuesday, 30 until Wednesday, 31 July at Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town.
PMA Fresh Connections is the only conference and trade show that hosts the entire fresh produce supply chain in Southern Africa to connect and gain first-hand insights into global trends and business opportunities.
Kanana told conference delegates the Joburg Market had allocated money to refurbish its exit gate and other infrastructure upgrades to ensure the entity was commercially viable.
Conference attendees also heard how farmers should embrace technology, including online trading and artificial intelligence.
The event was attended by top international and local speakers and featured a new connections roundtable, trade show, and the opportunity to network with over 600 decision-makers in the local and global fresh produce supply chain.
The Joburg Market is a member of the PMA and was allowed to showcase its business operations to hundreds of market agencies, farmers, retailers and wholesalers at the conference. There were also talks on rebranding, packaging, how to enhance its business in the future and how to grow in the agricultural world.
The conference also hosted students from across the country’s universities, who are keen to get to the top of the farming and agricultural sector.
