South Africa’s first fully integrated manufacturing plant for packhouse equipment, spanning infeed to palletising, has been launched in Paarl in a new joint venture between global agri-robotics leader Maf Roda Agrobotic and the engineering firm Maintech.
The newly formed entity, called Maftech, will operate from a state-of-the-art facility in Paarl, where it will locally manufacture and assemble peripherical equipment for fruit-packing operations across Southern Africa. The partnership is set to significantly strengthen Maf Roda’s presence in the South African market, an agricultural powerhouse producing more than 4.7 million tonnes of fruit annually.
South Africa’s fruit and vegetable market, valued at an estimated R145 billion in 2025 and projected to reach R190 billion by 2030, faces an increasing need for locally produced and competitively priced packing equipment. Maftech aims to meet this demand by expanding its existing engineering capability and offering locally built equipment aligned with South African economic conditions.
Maftech will be majority-owned by Maf Roda Agrobotic with a 60% share, while the remaining 40% will be held by the local partners.
“Maftech provides a tremendous growth opportunity for us, moving a small local business into a much larger, global family. By combining Maf Roda’s technology with our local manufacturing capabilities, we are not only completing projects faster and competing with other local cost-efficient producers, but we are also gaining the capacity to export high-quality, locally assembled machines to neighbouring countries, including Mozambique, Botswana, and Namibia,” said Riaan Coetzee, co-owner of Maftech.
Maintech, which has been manufacturing equipment for nearly 16 years, will see its role enhanced through the new partnership. Maftech’s expanded facility allows for shorter production and assembly timelines by eliminating the transport delays and costs associated with importing bulky equipment. The local operation will also enable faster after-sales support, with spare parts designed and produced on site and technicians able to quickly respond to industry needs.
Maftech and Maf Roda will jointly supply a full range of products and turnkey solutions, offering customers a unified point of accountability from installation to after-sales service.
While Maf Roda’s European engineers will continue to provide high-tech robotics and core grading systems, Maftech will focus on local production of peripheral components and the final assembly of complete treatment and packing lines. This model supports skills transfer and contributes to South Africa’s technical capacity in the post-harvest sector.
The investment is also expected to support growth within Maf Roda, the company’s South African branch.
“Our decision to formalise this partnership into Maftech was driven by the demonstrated quality of work and our shared vision for the local market. We see this partnership as an example of the utmost respect we have to the South African market,” said Fabrice Blanc, Director of Maf Roda and co-owner and director of Maftech.
Blanc added: “The market has expressed a clear interest in more accessible automated packing processes, especially considering that the level of automation in South Africa is currently low compared to other major fruit-producing countries. This new investment, marked by the acquisition of a larger production workshop in Paarl, underscores our long-term commitment to South African agriculture. We are the first international company to have officially invested in manufacturing packhouse equipment in South Africa.”
Maftech anticipates that its expanded Paarl facilities will be fully operational within 12 months, providing immediate benefits to fruit and vegetable producers across the region. The venture is expected to open doors to international markets for locally produced equipment and support continued growth in Southern Africa’s high-value fruit-export sector.
