Growth-focused Kaap Agri Announces New Company Name
Growth-focused Kaap Agri Announces New Company Name. Kaap Agri, the JSE-listed retail group trading in mainly agricultural-, general-, convenience- and fuel markets of Southern Africa, is to change its name to KAL Group Limited. This follows shareholder approval at the company’s Annual General Meeting held in Paarl.
The name change is to reflect the way the company has grown and expanded in recent years and is more representative of the company’s growth ambitions and diversified business operations. As part of this name change, the company is also adopting a new logo.
KAL Group CEO, Sean Walsh, said the name Kaap Agri has served the company well over the years, being rooted in the agricultural sector, especially in the Western Cape. But its agricultural and geographic references carry certain limitations. “Over the past seven years we have crafted a deliberate diversification strategy with the business becoming a diversified group with trading activities across South Africa and Namibia spanning various sectors including agricultural trade, general retail, manufacturing and fuel and convenience retail. The new name better demonstrates our diversification efforts, both from a sectoral and regional perspective.”
Pragmatically, the move also aligns the company’s name to its share ticker on the JSE (“KAL”), enabling greater awareness amongst the investor community. “We’re very pleased with the shareholder support received to change the company name. We think the new name represents where the company is heading while respecting its roots,” said Walsh. The new KAL Group logo retains the company’s existing visual identity with its green colours and the distinctive tri-leaf icon, continuing to remain the unifying emblem connecting the brand to its customers and stakeholders across various businesses, platforms and locations.
Rooted in the agricultural sector, the company was established in 1912 in the Swartland region of the Western Cape when a group of farmers collectively purchased guano to use for their own operations and to sell as fertiliser. This cooperative became the well-known company WPK Landbou in 1995, and after a series of mergers, Kaap Agri was formed, which listed on the JSE in June 2017. Today the KAL Group employs over 6700 employees with more than 270 operating units across South Africa and Namibia in 148 locations. The company’s retail fuel and convenience retail operations are grouped within The Fuel Company which recently acquired PEG Retail Holdings (the group’s largest acquisition to date) and now operates 85 services stations in the country with just below 200 retail touch points.
The contribution per segment to company revenue has changed drastically with Retail Fuel & Convenience reflecting significant growth over the past five years. “The name change builds in flexibility for future growth and diversification and aligns with current operating activities,” explained Walsh. “The current year of 2023 marks an important point in the evolution of this organisation. Over the years we have developed unique competencies in serving agriculture, fuel, and retail markets.”
“Our customer segments have expanded to include farmers, families, friends and the fur-family. We have earned a reputation for adding value for our stakeholders, leaving them better off, and this move reflects our continued commitment to growth. Through the corporate name change, our objective is to clearly emphasise our unique customer orientation and value proposition of our business,” Walsh said.
