EKM Exports operates on a global scale, spanning all around the world from Africa to Middle East, Asia and Russia, to Europe and Canada.
EKM Exports
EKM Exports is a marketing and export vehicle for the GOGO group and GOGO brand. GOGO group is the founding growers of the GOGO label, and consist of GOGO Fruit, Coldrooms and Packhouses. GOGO Logistics and Kholwa Logistics also fall part of the EKM Group.
About EKM Exports
EKM Exports is a proudly South African export company that specializes in the production, procurement and export of fresh produce from around the world.
Passion. Excellence. Innovation.
We go out of our way to meet your fruit needs promptly, professionally, absolutely. A company built by producers, for producers. We believe in doing what other companies won’t, to achieve results that other companies can’t. We believe in staying ahead of the curve. We believe in challenging the status quo.
At EKM, we only work with the best. We don’t expect our customers to accept anything less than the best.
We are EKM Exports.
EKM now exports roughly 3 million cartons of beautiful produce annually. Our flagship product is the GOGO citrus Range. While our auxiliary products include table grapes, apples and soft citrus. We are proud to say that our fruit has been consistently fetching some of the highest prices on the world’s most competitive produce markets. EKM aims to control every possible variable in the value chain. In our pursuit of excellent quality we have created strategic partnerships with reliable partners, placing us in a position to control the production, packaging, storage, marketing and logistics of our products. It is this integrated strategy that allows us to remain on the cutting edge of our industry.
EKM Exports/GOGO owns and controls the entire supply chain from the farm up until the loading of the vessel. This ensures that we can offer the best prices to our customers around the world and return the best price to our growers by cutting out all additional costs in the supply chain where possible, thus streamlining the supply chain.
Markets
Market Share
Currently, EKM Exports, and it’s GOGO Fruit brand, have a broad market reach, with major markets being China and South East Asia (including Singapore, Malaysia, Phillipines, Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong & Vietnam), Europe, Middle East, Russia and Canada.
EKM at a glance
1600
hectares of citrus in production
130
hectares of grapes in production and counting
100
packed per hour at our packhouse facilities
3
cartons of citrus exported from South Africa per year. 1.6 million cartons exported from Egypt
Our Growers
GOGO’s ownership structure mirrors its founding philosophies of trust, local partnerships and putting the power back into the hands of the farmer. Consisting of five producing companies, some with shared ownership structures.
El Sundew
The story of El Sundew, Eben Kruger and Louis Gouws began in 2009. El Sundew (formerly Avante) has been producing good quality citrus since the early nineties; the year 2009 however, will always be remembered as the year that the good citrus became great citrus.
The first trees to be planted on the farm -which was originally named Avante- were planted by the original owners in the year 1986. At the time, Mr and Mrs Nel were not producers of citrus exclusively. By the time the farm was sold to Christo Schoeman, the farm held a wide variety of crops. The new owner, as it would happen, had a passion for citrus!
Christo Schoeman sought to transform Avante into a reputable farm that produced citrus exclusively. Meanwhile, Eben Kruger and Louis Gouws, realized that the highest demand lay in the production of high-quality citrus. Before long, the purchase agreement for Avante was signed and the farm known as Avante became El Sundew. As it currently stands, El Sundew owns in excess of 70 hectares of premium citrus growing land that produces a high yield of incredibly high quality citrus, in a country that has always been widely revered as a country that produces fantastic citrus fruit, year in and year out.
El Sundew now has the capacity to produce the following crops:
– Lemons
– Navels
– Rustenburgs/Cambrias
– Midnights
– Limes
– Deltas
Tian Kruger
Citrus is now categorically, Tian Krugers highest priority. Tian contributes in excess of 300 hectares worth of citrus to GOGO’s annual crop every year.
During the citrus season, Tian & Louis employ over 500 people. They believe in a work environment that contributes comprehensively to their staff’s needs. By doing so, our staff remains content and they deliver an outstanding service and product.
Until recently they produced 700 000 – 750 000 boxes per season, with their recent plantings, TKF now has the capability to produce 1.7 million boxes per season.
They are dedicated to controlling every step in the process, from the planting of the tree to the packing and shipping of the citrus. Their devotion can be seen in the quality of every orange and every lemon that they produce. By committing themselves to their work, they have become a well-known citrus producer. Their reputation speaks of hard work and quality produce.
Tian Kruger Farming was built by viewing challenges as opportunities and by embracing change as an opportunity to grow. Today, that spirit defines the farm’s culture. “At Tian Kruger Farming, we place a high value on relationships with our distributors, our customers and our employees, and we focus on ways to grow together for a better future.”
Through a solid foundation, a clear vision and the collective talents of our people, Tian Kruger Farming is stronger than ever.
JFK Botha
For nearly forty years, Joe Botha and his wife, Annemarie, have proven that achieving success in the agricultural world stems from passion. Together, they have farmed with a large variety of crops such as, potatoes, tobacco, cabbage and citrus.Before long, Joe built a self-dependent packhouse that handled all 70 hectares of his citrus. Joe’s fruit is a great contribution to the GOGO Group.
Today, Joe Botha Farming remains a family business. Joe’s two sons LM and Joe jnr. run the farming and packing operations, while Joe’s daughter Annemarie jnr. handles all of the farm’s administration.Joe Botha Farming has always believed in upholding the values of trust, hard work and commitment. It is their hope, that JBF remains a family business for generations to come, and that the farm continues to provide fruit that competes with the best citrus the world has to offer.
“Citrus is a fairly new part of our business, but one that I intend to develop even more in the future. Everything we do, we do to our utmost best to ensure that our clients are not only satisfied, but will want to come back for even more.”
JJ Gouws
For 65 years, the Gouws family has been growing crops in the beautiful Loskop Valley area. Generation upon generation has been groomed to produce the finest citrus in the world.
Kobus and Joh Gouws started farming upon acquiring an initial 1400 hectares in the Waterberg Valley and an additional 1500 hectares in the Groblersdal Area. Of Joh and Kobus’s four sons, two are still farming in the family business. Koos Gouws started in the family business in the year 1992 his brother following suite in 1995. JJ Gouws Farming was officially established in the year 1999 and is now run by three very talented individuals, namely, Jacob Jacobus Gouws, Jacobus Gouws and Cornelius Francois Gouws.
The Gouws family holds their reputation for quality in a very high regard. They are passionate about what they do and that passion is evident in each and every single piece of fruit that is picked on the Gouws farms.
Today, the Gouws family farm is in excess of a staggering 3200 hectares. 100 hectares of which, produces the high quality citrus for export that the Gouws name is so strongly associated with. By 2016, JJ Gouws Farming intends to have dedicated far more land to the production of citrus. JJ Gouws Farming has not only a solid foothold in the citrus industry, but also, a bright future.
Neels Kok
Farming is a third-generation, family-owned and operated business. The name Nyawa was adopted from their old family name in Zimbabwe. Nyawa Farming was established in the year 1980, when Neels and his father joined forces and began cultivating a citrus product that is frankly, to die for.
From the moment Neels was born he was destined to be a great farmer. His father mentored him extensively and instilled in him the values and the skills necessary to surpass those before him. Through hands-on contact in every aspect of the business, Neels and his team take it upon themselves to ensure the success of Nyawa Farming.
The farm currently provides in excess of 40 hectares of citrus of the Navel and Valencia varieties. All of which, are packed in Neels’ private pack house. All of the citrus that is produced is intended for export
and special care is given to ensure that all Global-Gap specifications are met.
Being a family-owned, family-run farming operation, Neels Kok Citrus, strives for consistent commitment to quality and service. The open door policy, fair-mindedness and great work ethic have culminated in a loyal employee base, many of whom have been with Neels since he started. In true family business tradition, Neels’s son Peter, having completed an Engineering degree, joined the business. His daughter Kate, having also studied and then worked abroad for a while, is now in the pack house office. Kate’s husband Norman Snygaans is the newest member of the team.
“We strive towards excellence and professionalism, whether it be in the field, or in dealing with clients and employees. We have been building a name in the citrus industry for more than 15 years now and we plan to do everything in our power to uphold our reputation for many years to come.” says Neels.
GOGO Fruit Brands
GOGO/EKM Red Super Class 1
As the pride and joy of South African citrus, GOGO and EKM Red, our super class 1 fruits, are in a league of their own. The fruit is absolutely perfect.
GOGO Black Class 2
When fruit is labelled as a GOGO black, class 2, you can expect an above average class 2 piece of fruit.
GOGO Black Class 3
Upon opening a GOGO black, class 3 box, you can expect an above average class 3 piece of fruit.
EKM/GOGO Volume Growth
EKM has consistently grown from humble beginnings to exporting over 3 million cartons a year.
- Volumes Exported (millions cartons)
EKM exports 3 Million cartons from South Africa every year, with a further 1.6 million cartons exported out of Egypt through our various brands.
Fruit Availability
The GOGO brand is world renowned for our high quality citrus. Following in tracks of our Citrus, the GOGO brand is also fast becoming a major player in the global table grape industry.
See our availability calendars below.
Citrus Availability Calendar
The GOGO brand is world renowned for our high quality citrus. We settle for nothing less than the best and we ensure that all of our fruit undergoes rigorous quality control and all of the necessary treatments, at our state-of-the-art inland Cold Room facility. We are very proud to be able to say that our state-of-the-art facility is the first inland facility in South Africa able to meet the incredibly strict phytosanitory requirements imposed by countries such as China. The culmination of our commitment to quality, as well as our low turnaround time, leads to great looking, great tasting fruit.
Grape Availability Calendar
The GOGO brand is fast becoming a major player in the global table grape industry. Once again, we settle for nothing less than the best. Like our citrus, we ensure that our grapes undergo rigorous quality control and all of the necessary treatments at our state-of-the-art, inland
Cold Room facility. The GOGO Group has, as of late, started to produce table grapes in addition to citrus. Very soon, the infamous GOGO box will be available for 12 months of the year, in every corner of the globe.
Other EKM Divisions
EKM Exports also comprises of other companies in it’s portfolio, in order to take as much control as possible over the entire supply chain in order to bring costs down and ensure the best possible quality product is delivered to our customers. These includes our cold rooms, packhouses, as well as various logistics companies which cover, land, sea, air and rail.
See the EKM divisions below.
GOGO Cold Rooms
State-of-the-art inland cold storage facilities that serve as a central hub for all the local farms – conveniently situated next to GOGO Pack Houses
GOGO Packhouses
Our world class packhouses comprise the very best in machine technology and agrobitics available
GOGO Logistics
Gogo Logistics range of services extend across its core products of Freight Forwarding, Clearing, Warehousing, Dangerous Goods Handling and Multimodal Transport, in order to deliver globally integrated, tailor-made end-to-end solutions
Kholwa Logistics
Railway Transport directly from farm to port. Kholwa Logistics minimises delays to ensure there are no compromises on quality.
Contact Us
You can find us here
Stand 1, Portion 18, Newmark Estate, Silverlakes Road, Hazeldean, Tyger Valley, Pretoria, 0084
+27 12 809 1494
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