Procurement Manager - Agriculture

Job in Pietermaritzburg, 3200, South Africa

Listing for: EnableSA Recruitment

Full Time position
Listed on 2026-10-16

Job specializations:

Supply Chain/Logistics
Procurement / Purchasing, Supply Chain & Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Logistics Coordination

Requirements:

Grade 12
Bachelor's Degree or National Diploma in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Logistics, Business Management, or a related field
Valid driver's licence and willingness to travel extensively throughout South Africa.
Minimum 5 years' experience in fresh produce procurement, sourcing, fruit trading, agricultural supply chain management, or a related commercial role
Minimum 5 years' experience managing grower, packhouse and supplier relationships within the fruit industry
Demonstrated experience procuring citrus, deciduous fruit, subtropical fruit, table grapes, or other fresh produce commodities
Proven experience negotiating commercial agreements, pricing structures, supply programmes and procurement contracts
Experience working with crop forecasts, seasonal planning, demand forecasting and supply chain optimisation
Previous experience leading and managing procurement teams
Sound understanding of South African fruit production regions, growing seasons, packhouses and export markets

Responsibilities:

Develop and maintain a 12-month national procurement programme aligned with forecast sales demand
Map fruit supply by region, grower, packhouse, variety and season, and proactively identify future supply gaps
Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with strategic growers and packhouses through regular farm and packhouse visits
Develop a detailed understanding of expected crops, harvest timing, varieties, sizes, quality and market conditions
Identify and develop new growers, packhouses and supply regions
Lead commercial negotiations relating to fruit pricing, volumes, supply programmes, packing and procurement terms
Manage the transition between South Africa's different growing regions and develop appropriate import programmes where required to maintain year-round supply
Build a diversified supplier base that reduces reliance on individual growers, packhouses or production regions
Monitor supplier performance across quality, reliability, pricing and volume commitments, working closely with Quality Assurance and Operations
Maintain a strong understanding of crop forecasts, pricing, export-market dynamics, competitor activity and wider fruit industry trends
Lead the procurement team and ensure effective coordination between Procurement, Operations, Finance, Quality and company’s regional facilities