Invenfin, the venture and growth capital division of Remgro, has acquired a 30% stake in Dynamic Commodities, a South African specialist producer and exporter of a range of frozen fruit-based delicacies.

Stuart Gast, Executive Director of Invenfin, said: “With 95% of its revenue from exports, Dynamic Commodities is poised to grow significantly with the rise in global demand for frozen desserts and fruits.”

“The current global market for ice-cream alone is $50bn and growing, and the frozen fruit market is also showing exciting growth. With its focus on adding significant value to locally farmed produce through its delicious range of specialist products conceptualized and produced at its plant near Port Elizabeth, Dynamic Commodities matches what Invenfin looks for in a partner,” he added.

Over the past 20 years, Dynamic Commodities, an Eastern Cape company based in Coega outside Port Elizabeth, has become a leading exporter of an innovative, value-added range of frozen fruit products, including fruit sorbets and various cut frozen fruits, to the USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, various European countries and Australia.

One of Dynamic Commodities’ unique products is its fruit sorbet in a fruit shell, which generates significant export revenue and sells in the USA under the Island Way brand.

All products are produced from locally sourced fruit at the company’s state-of-the-art 9 600m² production facility in the Coega IDZ.

Other Dynamic Commodities offerings include frozen fresh fruit segments.

Dynamic Commodities CEO, Adrian Vardy, who owns and manages the company along with his partner Manie Maritz, MD and founder, said their business is small, but they "take pride in competing with the biggest companies in international markets".

Dynamic Commodities’ emphasis on frozen fruit makes it a major player in the Eastern Cape’s agriculture industry.

Depending on seasonality, Dynamic Commodities employs between 900 and 1,200 people at its Coega factory, all from neighboring communities.

“We buy over 10 million kilograms of fruit per year from over sixty local farmers and pack-houses. There is no doubt that the quality of fruit from the Eastern and Western Cape plays an integral role in our reputation for high quality products which we have in our international markets,” said Vardy.

“As a value-adding agri-processor, we work closely with the farming community, and in this way, Dynamic Commodities contributes to the stability and growth of the Eastern Cape’s farming sector,” he said.