Reporting to: Regional Sales Manager - Agriculture

We are seeking an experienced and highly driven Agricultural Area Sales Representative to manage and grow our agricultural packaging business across the Louis Trichardt and Musina regions of Limpopo.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing strong relationships with growers, producers, packhouses, exporters and other key agricultural stakeholders, while managing the complete customer journey from sales and forecasting through to artwork, tooling, production, delivery and after-sales service.

This is a highly operational and field-based position requiring extensive travel, independent decision-making and a strong understanding of the agricultural production cycle. The role will suit an individual who is commercially driven, technically minded, proactive and comfortable working in rural and remote agricultural environments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Sales & Business Development

• Develop and grow sales within the allocated agricultural territory.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with growers, producers, packhouses, exporters and other key customers.
• Identify new business opportunities and develop strategic customer acquisition plans.
• Conduct proactive sales activities, including cold calling, prospecting and customer visits.
• Develop and implement an area-specific agricultural sales strategy aligned with company objectives.
• Drive customer retention, revenue growth and product development opportunities.
• Identify opportunities for increased product penetration and customer growth.

Orderbook Management & Forecasting

• Manage the customer orderbook and ensure accurate demand forecasting.
• Conduct regular crop estimates and orchard visits.
• Monitor crop development, start-up dates, seasonal requirements and fruit behaviour.
• Analyse crop forecasts by volume, size and cultivar to support packaging and production planning.
• Coordinate customer requirements from new artwork and tooling through to printing, production and final delivery.
• Ensure orders are accurately captured, planned and executed within agreed timelines.
• Monitor stock levels and coordinate stock rotation and stock counts at customer sites and warehouses.
• Identify and manage potential supply risks before they impact the customer.

Agricultural & Technical Customer Support

• Provide customers with technical and commercial recommendations relating to agricultural packaging solutions.
• Recommend new packaging designs and product improvements based on customer and market requirements.
• Implement and monitor packaging protocols at packhouse level.
• Understand fruit sizing, quality requirements and technical export specifications.
• Assist customers in improving packaging processes, efficiency and waste management.
• Monitor sorting, packing and waste-management processes where applicable.
• Analyse logistics and supply-chain requirements and identify opportunities for improvement.

Customer Service & Operational Delivery

• Maintain regular daily contact with customers during critical agricultural periods.
• Conduct farm, orchard, packhouse and customer-site visits.
• Provide customers with accurate estimated delivery schedules and development timelines.
• Monitor OTIF (On-Time In-Full) performance and proactively address service issues.
• Coordinate seasonal packaging requirements and planning.
• Monitor fresh-produce market developments and their potential impact on customer requirements.
• Ensure customer expectations are managed throughout the complete order and supply process.
• Resolve operational and customer issues quickly and effectively.

Commercial & Financial Management

• Prepare and maintain accurate reports relating to customer and business transactions.
• Monitor customer profitability and GP (Gross Profit) performance.
• Assist with service-level agreements and commercial contracts.
• Manage and monitor rebates and settlement structures.
• Assist with tender documentation and commercial submissions.
• Monitor pricing, price increases and commercial agreements.
• Support the Debtors Department with customer-related matters.
• Assist in managing supply agreements and customer credit limits.
• Monitor returns, credit notes and outstanding customer issues.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer and product profitability.

Logistics & Supply-Chain Coordination

• Monitor customer delivery schedules and supply requirements.
• Coordinate closely with internal production, planning, logistics and warehouse teams.
• Ensure packaging is delivered according to agreed customer requirements and timelines.
• Monitor stock availability at customer locations and warehouses.
• Identify potential supply-chain disruptions and implement corrective actions.
• Analyse delivery performance and identify opportunities to improve service levels and efficiency.

Market Intelligence & Agricultural Planning

• Maintain a strong understanding of the agricultural sector within the allocated territory.
• Monitor planting, harvesting, packing and export cycles.
• Track crop estimates, cultivars, fruit sizes and seasonal production trends.
• Develop seasonal customer plans based on crop and market forecasts.
• Monitor competitor activity, market trends and emerging customer requirements.
• Translate agricultural market intelligence into actionable sales and business-development opportunities.

Territory Management & Travel

• Manage a large geographical territory covering rural and agricultural areas of Limpopo.
• Travel extensively, typically 250–700 km per day, depending on customer and operational requirements.
• Conduct regular farm, orchard, packhouse, warehouse and customer visits.
• Overnight travel will be required in various areas of Limpopo.
• Working hours will be aligned with the agricultural sector and may vary significantly during peak and off-season periods.
• Availability for Saturday work, weekend customer interaction and seasonal operational requirements will be required.
• Work independently in remote agricultural environments while maintaining consistent communication with the company and customers.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:

• Strong agricultural and commercial knowledge.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong customer relationship-management abilities.
• Excellent planning, organisational and time-management skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of responsibilities.
• Assertive, confident and professional approach.
• Ability to perform effectively under pressure and within demanding agricultural timeframes.
• Proactive and solutions-driven approach.
• Strong technical understanding of packaging production, printing and supply-chain processes.
• Strong financial and commercial understanding, including profitability and GP management.
• Strong operational execution and follow-through.
• Ability to lead, influence and drive change.
• Strong negotiation and business-development skills.
• Ability to build relationships at operational, technical and management levels.
• Self-motivated and results-oriented approach.
• Ability to communicate effectively Bilingual

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• B.Agric or equivalent agricultural qualification.
• Minimum 3–5 years' relevant experience in an agricultural, farming, manufacturing, packaging or related environment.
• Experience in printing and packaging
• Alternatively, strong B2B sales experience within the agricultural sector will be considered.
• Practical knowledge and experience within citrus and/or general vegetable production is preferred.
• Strong understanding of agricultural production cycles, packhouse operations and export requirements.

The ideal candidate is a self-driven agricultural professional with a strong sales and commercial mindset who enjoys working directly with customers and solving problems in the field.

The role requires someone who is comfortable with long-distance travel, early starts, changing agricultural conditions and demanding seasonal workloads. The successful candidate must be able to operate independently, make sound decisions under pressure and build trusted long-term relationships with customers.

This is a hands-on, field-based role for an individual who understands agriculture, understands customers and can convert agricultural market opportunities into profitable business growth.