Braam Van Staden Email and Phone Number

I have extensive experience in both retail and agriculture and have resided in Botswana since 2014, returning to South Africa in April 2024. My experience in both sectors has resulted in a strong understanding of the farm to fork value chain.My journey started during my student years at the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa, and I was later appointed full-time as an Agricultural Research Technician. I travelled extensively, planting, harvesting, analysing soybean trials, and contributing to the National Cultivar Report.My retail career started with Woolworths in 1999 to 2020, during which time I held various roles. I was tasked with the conversion from Franchise to Corporate of twenty-eight stores and over four hundred employees. As Country Foods Manger I also worked towards food supplier compliance and setting up new food suppliers due to import restrictions.I was also one of the founding members of the South Africa Business Forum (SABF) in Botswana and served on the Agricultural Technical Committee of the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS), as well as the Producers and Traders Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA).In 2021, I ventured on my own as the founder and owner of CJM Agri Holdings Pty Ltd, established to enable a platform for small scale farmers to comply with market requirements such as Good Agricultural Practice (Global GAP) and Produce Handling Assurance (PHA). CJM Agri also packed produce for a variety of retailers and small-scale farmers. Our market included Woolworths, Pick ‘n Pay, Trans Africa and Spar.In March 2023, CJM Agri signed a permanent consultation contract with Tsetseng Retail Group, a Spar franchise in Botswana with thirty-two stores nationally.Key focuses were to develop and enable a National Produce Strategy with key performance areas such as availability, consistent quality, and differentiation from competitors. I set up a National Procurement Plan with relevant farmers to ensure availability throughout the year with specific focus on restricted products. I also transitioned Tsetseng fruit and veg buying channels from the JHB market to establish new direct and indirect channels to improve consistent quality. I also returned to my roots during this period and started a small-scale farm part-time with friends. This venture developed into a full-time commercial entity, focused on vegetable production and a well-known Boer goat stud in Botswana.In summary, my career has been exciting, challenging, and satisfying as I was able to combine my passion for agriculture with retail.