Tru-Cape’s shareholder Two-a-Day recently became the first agribusiness in South Africa to be certified as a Top Employer nationally by the Top Employers Institute, based in the Netherlands.
Companies must be at the forefront of people practices to achieve this status.
“We employ approximately 2000 people, each playing an integral role in our business. We are considered a big employer in our small community; therefore, it is important that our employees are happy at work and that our standards are world-class,” explains Dimitri Jacobs, group human resources director at Two-a-Day.
Two-a-Day in Grabouw is one of Africa’s leading fruit-growing, packing, and marketing companies. The group currently exports 7 million cartons of apples and pears annually, with another 2 million being sold locally. All fruit is marketed by Tru-Cape, in which they hold a 50% interest.
The decision was taken earlier this year to benchmark Two-a-Day’s HR practices and standards to determine whether their strategies to develop and train employees were on par with international levels.
“To be accredited, one should score at least 60% overall on the 255 areas that are evaluated. We achieved 66.76%, which is outstanding,” Dimitri says proudly.
“We always try our best, but the certification confirmed that were on the right track. As a business, we do a lot for the people in our community, and it is good to be recognised for it.”
While technology is of utmost importance for the company to remain globally competitive, Attie van Zyl, the managing director of Two-a-Day, says that people are still at the heart of their business.
“The accreditation highlights that agribusinesses in South Africa can compete equally well with other industries regarding employment opportunities and ethical standards. We have many initiatives in place, of which our factory workers’ shareholding in our solar and other projects is of great importance.”
Attracting new talent
Two-a-Day scored particularly well in the categories of leadership and strategy, unity, and engagement. These domains considered values, ethics, diversity and equity, sustainability, employee well-being, and rewards and recognition, amongst others.
“We aim to create a fulfilling environment at Two-a-Day by supplying the appropriate tools and opportunities for training and growth. We offer bursaries to all our workers and benchmark salaries against the national average via Deloitte,” he says.
“At Two-a-Day, we have a big focus on employee wellness and sport. We also have a full-time doctor, social worker, and psychologist to assist employees in their needs.”
Through Ratelberg Solar, an initiative owned 100% by Two-a-Day’s workers, the company boasts one of the country’s largest solar installations on rooftops. Employees are also part of the Tru-Cape Trust, where they have the opportunity to earn an annual dividend.
Dimitri says the certification will be especially valuable to attract new talent.
“People considering working for us now know Two-a-Day is a good place of work. Also, Two-a-Day is in a growth phase, and the certification will help us to attract the right people, particularly in technical positions.”
Roelf Pienaar, the managing director of Tru-Cape, which is the fruit marketing division of Two-a-Day, congratulated them for achieving their new status.
“It is important to demonstrate to our 105 global markets that our premium apples and pears are produced ethically and packaged under fair labour conditions in a safe, inclusive environment that values ongoing learning. We are also excited about Two-a-Day’s potential to be seen as an employer of choice, which will help us attract talented individuals to achieve outstanding results together.”
Goals for 2025
Dimitri has set an ambitious goal for Two-a-Day to earn a place on the list of the top 20 employers in South Africa and join the ranks of companies such as Vodacom, Unilever, Absa, Chep, and Coca-Cola.
“In 2025, our focus will be to improve in all categories to achieve a score of 70%. It will require commitment, but it is important to us.”
To achieve this, they plan to focus on leadership development and implement changes in the digital environment to give employees and applicants the best experience possible. More marketing efforts will be aimed at Two-a-Day’s positive community and workplace initiatives.
“We hope this, and other projects, will contribute to Two-a-Day being a pleasant and preferred work place for many,” Dimitri concludes.
