About
FreshCap Protea Producing Exporter
global flower industry specialist
The FreshCap Group was established in 2008 as a Protea producing exporter when two international flower export industry specialists, Freddie Kirsten Jr and Noud Visschers, joined forces.
Both men had been firmly entrenched in different areas of the international flower business, with complementary skills in flower production, management, logistics and sales. Today, FreshCap is known in over 33 countries for being a grower & exporter of premium quality flowers.
Freddie Kirsten is a fourth-generation farmer who grew up on a farm on the slopes of Paarl Mountain in the Western Cape of South Africa.
After obtaining his Masters in Agricultural Economics at the University of Stellenbosch, he worked in the fruit export business in the United Kingdom. There he gained valuable business knowledge and experience. On his return to Paarl in 1998, he started planting Proteas and got involved in exporting flowers a year later.
Today he’s a distinguished and established Protea grower and grape farmer, with extensive experience in the production and global marketing of products in the flower and fruit industry.
Noud Visschers is a Dutch flower marketer from the Province of Limburg, Netherlands. He holds a BSc degree in International Marketing Management from Larenstein University, Deventer. Thanks to his considerable experience he has unprecedented access to an extensive network of producers and buyers worldwide.
Noud has worked in senior management at different flower producers’ consortiums in Southern Africa, as well as in import and sales of African cut flowers at flower auctions in The Netherlands.
He has significant expertise and experience in the international logistics of perishables, European retailer chains and the global production of flowers.
With offices in South Africa and The Netherlands, FreshCap is ideally positioned in the nucleus of the international flower trade. We currently exports to 33 countries and is a member of the South African Protea Producers Export (SAPPEX) association.
“FreshCap harvest and pack all the fresh cut flowers with ample care for people and nature.”
Our team strives to ensure the best fresh cut flowers reach their international destination as fresh as possible, at the most competitive prices and to be the best South African flower exporter and grower.
FULL CIRCLE CULTIVATION
Considering that Protea plants typically take two to four years to grow into mature flowers, their cultivation is truly a labour of love. As a dedicated producing-exporter, we manage the cultivation cycle completely. The cycle starts in our own nursery programme, which enables us to control the quality and uniformity of our beautiful flowers. This is followed by the production and nurturing of the growing flowers, mostly on the slopes of Paarl Mountain or in nearby microclimates. We then expertly harvest the flowers by hand and carefully package them for our international clients.
Successfully and sustainably cultivating fresh cut flowers – especially Proteas – requires patience, experience, skill and an expert understanding of the impact on the environment.
Soil management is another key factor that requires in-depth knowledge and experience. We do regular composite soil sampling by chemically analyzing the soil to ensure the finest soil quality and maintenance.
We ensures our products adhere to the high-quality standards of the export market by successfully maintaining the cold chain to ensure optimal post-harvest handing conditions.
At The FreshCap Group, buyers can be assured they are getting a product that is as close to the source as possible.
Selected Proteaceae cultivars grown in our fields are sold under the African Wildflowers brand, an exclusive range of indigenous Cape Flora. These are authentic African products, with a robust character and exotic beauty that is associated with their wild African heritage.
African Wildflowers is a FreshCap Group brand, born in South Africa.