Magazine_October_2023

NONSTOP TRAVEL
MENNO & KA WAI - SOUTH AFRICA
Ka wai, Fredri Kok and Menno
How people in South Africa greet
"Howzit?"
In South Africa, greetings are often carried out
with warmth and enthusiasm, reflecting the
diversity of the population and cultures in the
country. A commonly used greeting is "Hello"
or "Hi," similar to many other English-speaking
countries.
A unique greeting in South Africa is "Howzit?"
or "How's it going?" This is an informal
greeting that is friendly and relaxed, akin to
"How are you?". It emphasizes a laid-back
and open atmosphere in conversations.
Additionally, in certain cultures in South Africa,
it's customary to show respect through a slight
bow or a nod of the head. Handshakes are
also common, especially in professional and
formal situations.
Due to South Africa's rich cultural diversity,
greeting customs can vary among different
ethnic groups and regions. It's always wise
to be mindful of the situation and to respect
the customs of the people around you.
Ka Wai and Gert Upton
A citrus trip to South Africa
Normally, we would always plan a citrus trip to South Africa in around March or
April, but this time we chose to go mid-season, so we were able to see the different
varieties ‘in action’ on the packing lines and in the orchards. It was an unusual time
for a visit. Naturally, we visited many long-term partners to draw up further joint
growth plans for the coming years and discuss the difficult situation in which
growers in South Africa find them-selves. In times like these, we always make it
very clear to our partners how much we appreciate what they do and reiterate our
continued strong support. We were also keen to look for new partners to meet the
ever growing demand from our many clients in Asia and the Benelux countries.
Andrew Muller and Menno
Ka Wai & Grant du Preez
SOUTH AFRICA
Ka Wai flew from Hong Kong to Johannesburg and Menno flew in from
Amsterdam. They arrived on Sunday evening, painstakingly reviewing
the entire schedule once again, as well as the objectives and strategic
plans. Clearly, there is always a purpose to our visits.
The trip to the far north of the country (close to the border with Zimbabwe)
began early on Monday morning. Along the way we visited partners in
Groblersdal, Marble Hall, Letsitele, Tzaneen, Hoedspruit, Malelane and
Mbombela in the north of South Africa. After 13 visits in two-and-a-half
days and having travelled 2,000 km, we had once again learnt and
seen a huge amount. We were even lucky enough to have one of our
partners take us on a short safari, where we saw giraffes and other
animals in all their splendour! We had given a boost to our cooperation
and further development with our existing partners. It was a fruitful trip,
since we started business with 4 new growers.
The aim is always to look for people with the same values and beliefs.
If we are a good fit for each other, then shipping a couple of containers
is the aim. We always say that you have to get to know each other.
Once you have a solid foundation, the volumes will follow by themselves.
We focus more on quality and finding people with the same DNA.
That is the main objective in the long term, so we are very careful in
this regard.
On Wednesday evening, we flew to the Eastern Cape, where we travelled
around for another two days. The trip there took us from Port Elizabeth
to Fort Beaufort, and from Addo to Kirkwood and the Patensie area.
Following the seven visits here, during which we learned a great deal and
achieved the agreed acquisition targets once again, we rounded off the
trip with a warehouse visit, lunch and fun activities with our existing
partners.
When we saw our Mamba boxes going through the warehouse, we were
filled with pride. Pride on the one hand for our brand, which wants to
represent the best possible quality, and on the other for our long-term
partners, who day in day out do their utmost to work with us to achieve
the success in the market that we are striving for! Stronger together,
that is what we call it! The first containers from new growers have now
arrived and we are looking forward to putting our heart and soul into
the further development of these relationships. Cheers to South Africa.
travel
Menno and Gerrit Theron
44 | CULTURES CULTURES | 45