The agribusiness industry
Zeder invests in the “agribusiness” industry. Agribusiness is a broad descriptive term referring to a range of activities and processes involved in modern food and raw material production. It encompasses all the procedural and practical services and products associated with the word “agriculture”: farming of every sort, machinery, distribution, processing, marketing, financing and so on. The success of this industry is key to the future of the global population which continues to grow and urbanise. Through our strategic core investments, Zeder is geared to play a significant part.
Where do we come from?
Zeder came into existence as the brainchild of PSG Group’s leadership team. From as early as 2004, the board of PSG, led by its founder entrepreneur, Jannie Mouton, sought a vehicle through which to consolidate its diverse holdings in the broad agribusiness industry. Thus, Zeder Investments came into being and listed on the JSE in 2006, with a colourful basket of holdings in agribusinesses across Southern Africa. Historically, Zeder’s strategy was to take non-controlling interests in a wide spectrum of agribusiness investments. See our Track Record for more detail on our historical investments.
Where are we going?
The world is changing in exciting and challenging ways. With growth in the global population and increased urbanisation, a number of major themes are shaping consumer behaviour. Naturally, the agribusiness industry is heavily impacted and shaped by this context: new farming regions are being developed for the first time, technology is increasingly integral to the optimisation of the production chain and high input costs and environmental awareness are challenging traditional business models to be more sustainable.
“We are well represented across the agribusiness value chain, and are always investigating new opportunities to expand and diversify.”
Zeder is proud of its strong position in this ever-growing and developing industry. We have learnt a great deal, gained priceless experience and built up strong relationships in the years since inception. We have ultimately emerged with an investment approach that supports our growth strategy. Through our core investments, we are well represented across the agribusiness value chain, and are always investigating new opportunities to expand and diversify. Where once, our engagement in our investments was non-controlling and passive, we are increasingly more involved in our core investments. We are passionate and optimistic about the African continent and are looking to grow businesses where we see potential, sustainability and key management.