Joburg Market strengthens 18-year partnership with Wildeklawer

The Joburg Market has reaffirmed its longstanding relationship with major agricultural stakeholder Wildeklawer through its annual stakeholder engagement and sports games in Barkly West, Northern Cape. The engagement brought together Joburg Market and Wildeklawer teams for a day of relationship building, knowledge sharing and friendly competition, with soccer, netball and softball forming part of the programme.

Joburg Market's management team, led by acting Chief Operating Officer Charles Park, joined Wildeklawer owner and founder Louis de Kock and his team for the annual engagement. Wildeklawer is a significant producer and supplier of onions and carrots to the Joburg Market, contributing to the fresh produce value chain that supplies consumers and businesses across the country.

Beyond the sporting activities, the Joburg Market delegation visited Wildeklawer's farming and packhouse operations to gain insight into modern agricultural production, quality management and logistics. The team observed advanced packhouse processes, including optical sorting technology used to identify product characteristics and defects, supporting consistent quality and efficient handling.

The scale of the operation was also highlighted, with the carrot packhouse handling approximately 400–500 tonnes a day. The visit provided valuable insight into the role of technology, automation, quality control and logistics in moving fresh produce efficiently from farm to market. Park said the 18-year relationship demonstrates the importance of maintaining meaningful connections across the fresh produce value chain.

“Eighteen years of engagement speaks to the value of trust, partnership and mutual understanding. The annual games give our teams an opportunity to connect on a different level, while the operational visit allows us to better understand the work that goes into producing, packing and supplying quality fresh produce to the market."

On the sporting field, Joburg Market retained the men's football cup, while securing second-place finishes in softball and netball.

The annual engagement highlights Joburg Market's commitment to strengthening relationships with producers and understanding the full journey of fresh produce from production and packing to market distribution and, ultimately, the consumer.

Written by Tshegofatso Maakwe
23/09/2026

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