Agrimark, the agri-retail offering from JSE-listed KAL Group, has once again shone a spotlight on the strength and depth of its supplier partnerships at its recently held Supplier of the Year Awards, hosted at Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West. Now in its seventh year, the awards recognise suppliers who consistently go beyond standard commercial expectations to deliver quality products, innovative solutions and dependable support across Agrimark’s diverse operations.

According to Agrimark’s MD, Arno Abeln, the Supplier of the Year Awards reflect the business’s agri-retail evolution.

“As Agrimark continues to evolve into a fully integrated agri-retail business, the awards have grown in both scale and relevance, reflecting the expanding role of suppliers across multiple channels and customer touchpoints,” said Abeln at the Awards.

This year’s awards recognised supplier performance across its increasingly diversified agri, fuel and retail operations, including digital transformation, during the 2025 financial year. The expanded awards programme reflects this evolution, with categories that now more fully represent the breadth of the business and the partners who support its growth across sectors.

Addressing Agrimark’s suppliers, Johann le Roux, CEO of KAL Group, highlighted the importance of relationships in a complex and evolving operating environment. “As a diversified business operating across agricultural, retail, fuel and related markets, we are transforming alongside the industries we serve,” he said. “We are a big player in the sectors in which we operate, but our scale only matters if it is matched by strong, trusted relationships.”

Abeln said that the business sees its suppliers as value chain partners. “They enable us to execute on our strategy and drive sustained market share growth. Their ability to support us with consistency, innovation and responsiveness is fundamental to how we compete and grow. These awards are our way of recognising those that share and help shape our journey.” 

Thirty-nine winners were announced across 41 categories of the 2025 Agrimark Supplier of the Year Awards, which culminated in the announcement of the overall channel winners: PPC Cement Sales named Retail Channel Supplier of the Year, and Zibo Containers taking top honours in the Agri Channel category. Both companies stood out for their consistency, innovation and commitment to delivering real value across Agrimark’s national footprint of more than 70 branches.

Representatives from both PPC Cement and Zibo Containers described the recognition as an honour, noting that the past few years have required significant adaptability and resilience within their respective businesses, noting that throughout the journey, Agrimark has always been prepared to work with them to find solutions, think outside the box and try new approaches.

Hennie Smit, Agrimark Director of Supply Chain, said the two overall winners exemplified the qualities Agrimark values most in its supplier relationships. “These are suppliers who we can phone anytime – day or night,” he said. “They are real solutions partners. Ethics and integrity are the cornerstone of our supplier relationships, and these awards recognise partners who help us deliver real value and drive growth through ethical business standards.”

Looking ahead, Abeln reflected on Agrimark’s recent achievements while reinforcing confidence in the Group’s longer-term strategy. “F25 was a year of solid delivery for Agrimark, supported by an exceptional supplier base,” he said. “As we continue to work towards our F30 ambitions, including sustained market share growth, these partnerships will remain central to our success.”

With over 270 operating points across South Africa and Namibia, KAL Group and Agrimark continue to serve a broad customer base - from large-scale commercial producers, to everyday households. The Supplier of the Year Awards reaffirm Agrimark’s commitment to collaborative, future-focused supplier relationships that enable the business to meet changing customer needs while unlocking shared value.