PMA to Host Fresh Connections Conference in Southern Africa

The majority shareholder of the largest retail chain in Africa, Shoprite/Checkers, will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Connections: Southern Africa event on Aug. 22 in Pretoria, South Africa. Dr. Christo Wiese, CEO of Pepkor and executive director of the Shoprite Group, is just one of several prominent global leaders who will address the 300 to 400 industry role players expected to attend. With a theme of "Southern Africa and the World: The Power of Fresh Innovation," the event will highlight key issues affecting the entire fresh produce supply chain and Southern Africa’s competitive position. Media are invited to attend with a complimentary media pass.

In addition, global agricultural analyst Oliver Flake, Senior Economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Foreign Agriculture Service’s office of global policy analysis, will examine factors affecting global agricultural markets over the next decade. The event will begin with Terry Jones, chairman of Kayak.com/founder and former CEO of Travelocity.com, challenging attendees to generate great ideas by exploring the fundamentals of innovation.

The day will also include a mix of speaker presentations and reactionary panels to ensure local application and interaction with the audience. Other presentation highlights include: Mohit Arora, director/head of Agricultural Banking for Standard Bank, speaking about the agribusiness boom ahead for Africa; Hillary Brick, senior vice president of Giumarra Companies addressing the changing structure of global sourcing; JP Landman, political and trend analyst, presenting on economic and political reality of food security in South Africa; Eric Trachtenberg with McLarty Associates spotlighting export opportunities to China; and Dr. Deirdre Holcroft, post-harvest consultant, discussing extending fresh produce shelf-life and improving quality.

The day will end with cocktails and networking during a casual reception jointly hosted by PMA and Potatoes South Africa. Reception goers will enjoy a friendly cooking competition between Claire Gourley, New Zealand celebrity teen chef, prominent industry role-players. Event details follow:

Event Date: 22 August
Event Time: 08:30 to 16:45
Event Location: Groenkloof Auditorium
University of Pretoria, Groenkloof Campus
Corner of Leyds Street and George Storrar Drive

For more information please visit www.pma.com