Our story

From new kids on the block to best-in-class, in just over a decade

In November 2006 we launched an ambitious plan. A plan to create a macadamia farming business like no other, in a tree nut industry brimming with growth potential.

Since then, we’ve revitalized derelict and exhausted farmland into macadamia orchards delivering consistent, market-leading levels of production, using what has become our unique, signature approach to farming.

We are obsessed with well-managed processes, looking at how we can improve them, seeing how best we can learn from our mistakes, and making long-term investment decisions only off the back of careful research and analysis. Doing all we can to utilise the skills and experience from our consulting and professional backgrounds.

Today, our product offering is the Gold Standard for quality, our yields per hectare are off the charts, and the exceptional quality of macadamia trees produced by our fledgling commercial nursery are in ever growing demand.

These results are underpinned by our consistent focus on striving for the highest possible sustainability standards and ensuring that we have a team of enthusiastic, engaged, highly skilled and collaborative individuals, who continue to grow as we do.

And this is only the beginning!

“From the moment we decided to launch Kubu Group from our London base, we have consistently evolved and even revolutionized our business, using our signature approach. Our ambition for Kubu Group remains as singular as it was on the day that we cleared land for planting our first macadamia tree.”

Our Approach

Analytics + Algorithms = Astounding Achievements

Farming can be approached as a blend of science and experiment, based on a great deal of intuition. This often leads to highly variable results.

At Kubu Group we sought out the respected professionals, carefully analysed alternative approaches, and then distilled it all down into what really works.

Then we turned up the heat.

Producing results that are not marginally – but exceptionally and consistently – better than the industry average, across every metric worth measuring.

From precision soil mapping and world class irrigation management systems in our orchards, to optimized state-of-the-art computer-controlled growing conditions in the tree nursery, we leave no stone unturned.

Our signature approach – combining consistent application of rigorously tested best management practices with careful analysis of the multitude of new advancements in farming and supporting technology, to determine the best “bang for our buck” – continues to ensure that we deliver our annual macadamia crop and produce nursery trees at exceptional volume levels and quality.

Our values

Not everything that you can count, counts

Our values are alive and well across our farm and far beyond.

While we love our numbers, we know that some things are hard to measure but clear for all to see – if not today, then certainly tomorrow.

Rooted in our ongoing commitment to excellence, our values are reflected in the way we conduct ourselves amongst our farm staff, within the farming community, and across our supplier partners and global distribution network.

Ethical business practices, sustainable farming methods based on a genuine respect for the environment, a sincere appreciation for our local community, recognition of regulatory standards, and responsible corporate conduct are the very fabric of our values.

We are uncompromising in our belief that our values are the linchpin of our performance, and that our actions have far more power than anything we could simply say.

Our company

Hippos and Horticulture

Kubu Group operates a business model focused on vertical integration and efficiency-driven increments of scale. We own and manage every step of our value chain from producing our own orchard trees in our state-of-the-art nursery, through to the sale and delivery of our product globally via our processing and distribution arm, Golden Macadamias.

Each day we generate thousands of data points, which are monitored online and managed closely – from micro-nutrient droplet measurements and soil moisture probes through to the currency variances that drive global macadamia nut commodity pricing here in South Africa.

Throw in tightly controlled pruning techniques, weekly pest scouting, continuous orchard maintenance and our unique signature for success becomes evident. We leave nothing to chance in our pursuit of excellence. We consider excellence as achieving strong results on a consistent basis. Anything less than this is unacceptable.

Even our visiting hippos get our attention, beautiful and gentle in appearance but never to be underestimated!

Our people

Delivering our promise of excellence

Making the complex appear simple takes a unique combination of skills, dedication, and expertise. Whilst we invest significantly in technology and process innovation, it is our people who are critical to our business success.

As founders, we bring decades of professional business consulting experience, which includes accounting, finance, actuarial, HR, and analytical expertise, providing a unique and robust basis to the business of farming.

This would be meaningless without our team’s hands-on focus and diligence, together with our retained core group of specialist consultants. We have built a team that we are immensely proud of, and grateful for.

Together our drive for excellence is delivered every day.