In the absence of the usual annual IFPA Southern Africa conference, the Women’s Breakfast filled the void with a turnout that pleasantly surprised organizers. Held at the Irene Farm in Pretoria in recognition of the International Year of the Woman Farmer, Jane Strijdom, IFPA Southern Africa country manager, noted that the popular gathering remains an essential event on the local agricultural calendar.
Bloomia Joins IFPA as First South African Floral Member
A key milestone announced at the event was the official welcome of Bloomia as the International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) very first floral industry member in South Africa. Based in Rawsonville, the tulip grower operates as part of the global Bloomia group.
Representatives from Bloomia, including Adriaan van Wyk, attended the gathering alongside their primary retail buyers from Woolworths’ floral section. Strijdom highlighted the significance of the addition, noting that while floral represents a major pillar for IFPA globally, it remains an emerging segment for the organization within South Africa.
Closing South Africa’s Daily Consumption Gap
Beyond welcoming new members, the event served as a platform to address South Africa’s low fresh produce consumption. Strijdom reminded assembled guests that the daily minimum requirement is five portions of fruit and vegetables, along with at least 400g of dietary fibre. South Africa currently falls significantly short, sitting at an average of 250g per day.
Strijdom urged the entire supply chain to take active responsibility in driving national consumption higher:
“Fresh produce should take up half your plate – it’s a message we want to see across the country. The more we get fresh produce on everyone’s plates, the more everyone in the fresh produce industry benefits. Half your plate should be fresh.” — Jane Strijdom, Manager, IFPA Southern Africa
Lessons in Leadership: Summiting Your Own Everest
Keynote speaker Lee den Hond, the third South African woman to summit Mount Everest, shared insights on handling overwhelming goals. Recalling her May 2013 expedition—where she reached the summit in the same month as 80-year-old Yuichiro Miura and unfurled a South African flag signed by children from Schaumspruit village in North West Province—Den Hond outlined core strategies for mental resilience.
Agricultural Sector Rallies to Stop Tulbagh Cannery Shutdown
She exhorted business leaders to “minimise the goal,” remove digital distractions by spending less time on mobile phones, and rely heavily on the strength of their teams. Echoing her message, Strijdom emphasized that agriculture is fundamentally a “team sport” requiring cross-sector alignment across growers, logistics providers, retailers, and government bodies.
The IFPA Women’s Breakfast highlighted two critical pillars for South Africa’s agricultural future: diversifying supply chains through new sectors like florals and uniting growers and retailers behind a unified message to raise national fresh produce consumption. As the sector works toward building a healthier nation and a stronger market, attention now turns to the inaugural IFPA Sustainability Summit, set for 11 November 2026 in Cape Town.