Bollo and ClemenGold partner for year-round premium mandarins
The collaboration brings together Bollo’s Northern Hemisphere production and established retail relationships across Europe with ClemenGold International’s Southern Hemisphere grower network and citrus expertise in South Africa. The result is a counter-seasonal supply model designed to reduce fragmentation in the supply chain while maintaining consistent quality and visibility.
Simplifying the supply chain
A central focus of the partnership is supply chain efficiency. By working more directly with growers and retailers, the companies aim to reduce layers that add cost without improving outcomes for consumers.
Antonio Alarcón Alzugaray, CEO of Bollo Natural Fruit, says traditional citrus supply chains often increase costs through multiple intermediaries. “Each additional link raises the final price without necessarily adding value. This partnership offers a more direct model that improves efficiency and competitiveness,” he says.
Bollo Natural Fruit is a major European producer, exporter and importer of fruit, supplying key retail markets across the region. Within the partnership, the company will continue to lead Northern Hemisphere production while supporting the development of aligned citrus programmes with retail partners.
A Southern Hemisphere Foundation
ClemenGold International contributes an extensive grower ecosystem across South Africa’s main citrus regions, including Limpopo, the Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape. Own and partner farms supply fruit from April to October, extending the availability of premium mandarins during the European off-season.
The company operates within global retail compliance frameworks, meeting the certification and traceability standards required by international markets.
Nico van Schalkwyk, CEO of ClemenGold International, says the partnership is not simply about scale. “It’s about aligning two businesses with shared standards and a long-term view of how premium mandarins should be supplied — reliably, responsibly and with sustainable returns for growers,” he says.
Complementary roles, shared standards
Rather than competing, the two companies will continue to serve their respective markets while aligning on quality benchmarks, branding and supply coordination. Counter-seasonal production allows both parties to strengthen existing grower and retail relationships while opening opportunities for expanded programmes.
For retailers, the partnership offers:
• Year-round access to premium mandarins
• Greater supply continuity across seasons
• Reduced operational complexity
• Improved transparency across the supply chain
• An ESG-aligned sourcing model, including ClemenGold’s corporate social investment initiatives in rural South Africa through the ClemenGold Foundation
By combining Northern and Southern Hemisphere production under a coordinated approach, Bollo Natural Fruit and ClemenGold International aim to create a more stable and predictable mandarin supply model for European retail.