Management team
Management team
A track record in delivering growth
The Executive Management Team plays a pivotal role in developing Dole’s long-term strategy in South Africa. Our day-to-day operations are led by Managing Director Hannes Nieuwoudt, Finance and Business Development Director Shane Hewitt, Director: Deciduous and Berries Riaan Swart and Director: Citrus and Avocados Patrick Bird.
Dole’s Board has extensive industry experience, recognised as among the best in the fresh produce sector.
Each business unit has built a strong management team and culture, focused on accountability and protecting shareholder value.
Hannes Nieuwoudt
Hannes Nieuwoudt is a seasoned international agribusiness executive with more than 25 years of cross-functional experience across the fresh produce value chain – spanning agricultural production, sourcing, packing, and global trade. An MBA graduate from the University of Stellenbosch Business School, Hannes is widely respected for his operational acumen, strategic foresight, and ability to integrate commercial discipline with people-centred leadership.
In his current capacity as Managing Director of Dole South Africa and Director of Dole Africa Holdings, Hannes is responsible for steering the strategic and operational performance of Dole’s African platform, ensuring alignment with the broader commercial priorities of Dole plc. His governance responsibilities span a portfolio of affiliated companies including Mahele Shipping (Bermuda), Dole Fresh Fruits Middle East (Dubai), Mahele Fresh Fruits (Singapore), Fiesta Fresh (a newly formed, Dole-owned commercial subsidiary) and multiple local subsidiaries and partnerships across South Africa. He is also a Director of the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum (FPEF), where he helps shape national export policy and sustainability frameworks for the broader industry.
While serving as General Manager: Diversified Europe at Dole Europe (Hamburg), Hannes was approached by the executive leadership of Dole plc to consider taking the helm of Dole South Africa. The move reflected the Group’s recognition that his deep operational experience, market fluency, and leadership strength made him uniquely qualified to guide this strategic division into its next chapter of growth and operational excellence. That foresight has since proven to be well placed; under his stewardship, Dole South Africa has significantly enhanced its market agility, export performance, and value-chain integration.
Key Appointments within Dole plc:
• Managing Director, Dole South Africa (2015-Present)
• General Manager: Diversified Europe, Dole Europe (Hamburg) (2013-2015)
• Director: Operations & Commercial, Dole South Africa (2010-2013)
• Business Manager: Citrus Operations & Commercial (2008-2010)
• Business Manager: Commercial Markets (2006-2008)
• Manager: Packaging & Commercial (2002-2006)
• Manager: Packaging (1999-2002)
Today, as a member of the Dole plc Commercial Board for EMEA, Hannes contributes to the strategic orchestration of Dole’s diversified businesses across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Known for his high cultural fluency and a leadership style grounded in authenticity and enterprise thinking, he remains a key driver of Dole’s long-term growth, organisational resilience, and people-first culture.
Hannes Nieuwoudt
Managing Director
Shane Hewitt
Shane Hewitt serves as Director: Finance & Business Development at Dole South Africa and is a Board Member of Dole Africa Holdings as well of Fiesta Fresh, a commercial subsidiary. He brings nearly three decades of senior financial, strategic and operational experience within the agricultural and agri-adjacent sectors. A graduate of Stellenbosch University with a B.Comm in Financial Accounting (1992), Shane’s career reflects a consistent focus on long-term value creation, corporate governance, and cross-sector leadership.
Shane’s experience spans high-compliance environments and diverse portfolios, beginning with early financial management roles in the Western Cape’s farming sector, followed by 14 years at the TerraSan Group – a public investment holding company with interests in mariculture, pelagic fishing, fruit production, tourism, and real estate. During his tenure (1999-2012), he progressed from Group Financial Manager to Group Managing Director, playing a central role in corporate transactions, due diligence, governance structuring, and business acquisitions across South Africa and Namibia. TerraSan operated under stringent regulatory frameworks (incl. Companies Act, B-BBEE compliance), equipping Shane with invaluable governance and stakeholder management capability.
Since joining Dole South Africa in 2015, Shane has served first as Finance Director, and later assumed broader executive responsibility for Business Development, Risk Management, Legal and Compliance, Systems & IT, and previously also People & Culture. His role bridges strategic planning with operational execution, underpinning both day-to-day financial stewardship and long-horizon business development, including growth feasibility assessments and investor due diligence.
As a Board Member, Shane contributes both strategic foresight and hands-on operational fluency. His pragmatic, commercially minded approach has been instrumental in navigating Dole SA’s expansion strategies, risk frameworks, and capital allocation priorities in alignment with long-term growth objectives.
Shane is regarded as a balanced and values-driven executive, who combines analytical depth with practical problem-solving and cross-functional leadership. His boardroom contributions reflect not only deep industry insight but also a strong foundation in governance, transactional execution, and shareholder value alignment.
Shane Hewitt
Director: Finance and Business Development
Riaan Swart
Riaan Swart is a longstanding executive within the Dole organisation and a Board Member of Dole South Africa, bringing over 27 years of industry experience and a robust leadership track record across the deciduous, berry, and table grape categories. He holds a B.Agric in Agriculture and is widely respected in the fresh produce sector for his deep market insight, strategic agility, and commitment to operational excellence.
Riaan’s career spans both technical and commercial disciplines, having started as a Research Technician at Nietvoorbij before joining Del Monte as an Area Manager. Since joining Dole in 2003, he has advanced through several leadership roles, culminating in his current executive position where he leads the company’s Deciduous & Berries division, as well as serving as Grape Champion for the Northern European market.
In his executive capacity, Riaan oversees strategic sourcing, grower partnerships, value chain optimisation and category P&L management. His role includes shaping long-term commercial strategies, driving international market development and ensuring category resilience amid changing global dynamics.
Key roles and tenure within Dole South Africa:
- Director: Deciduous & Berries (2021-Present)
- Director: Deciduous (2019-2021)
- Business Manager (2011-2019)
- Producer Manager (2009-2011)
- Area Manager (2003-2009)
As a Board Member, Riaan brings a grounded yet commercially sharp perspective to Dole South Africa’s leadership structure. He is instrumental in informing strategic decision-making around category performance, market risk, and sustainable growth. His operational experience, cross-functional leadership and market-facing insight make him a valuable voice at Board level, particularly as Dole continues to scale its African platform and expand its global reach.
Riaan Swart
Director: Deciduous + Berries
Grape Champion Dole Europe
Patrick Bird
Patrick Bird is the Director of Citrus and Avocados at Dole South Africa and a longstanding member of the company’s executive leadership team. With nearly three decades of deep sector expertise, Patrick brings an exceptional command of the South African citrus value chain – from cultivar development to global market execution – and has played a central role in shaping Dole SA’s growth across these core categories.
Patrick holds both a B.Sc and M.Sc in Agriculture, awarded in 1995 and 1999 respectively. He began his career as a citrus researcher at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), where he developed a strong technical foundation before transitioning into the commercial export environment. He joined Dole SA in 1999 as an Area Manager and rapidly advanced through multiple product leadership roles, including Citrus Product Manager and Citrus Business Manager. In 2019, he was appointed Director of Citrus, and in 2022, his portfolio expanded to include strategic oversight of the avocado category.
In his current role, Patrick is responsible for managing end-to-end category performance, encompassing grower engagement, international market strategy, quality alignment, and customer development across diverse global territories. His leadership has been instrumental in positioning Dole SA as a reliable supplier of high-quality citrus and avocados into premium markets.
Patrick also serves on the boards of Letaba Packers and Morgan Creek Boerdery, further deepening his operational visibility within the value chain. From 2018 to 2022, he served as a board member of the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum (FPEF), contributing to broader industry development and regulatory dialogue.
As a Board Member of Dole South Africa, Patrick brings a rare blend of technical insight, category stewardship, and long-range commercial thinking. His tenure reflects not only continuity, but also evolution, as he continues to steer Dole SA’s citrus and avocado platform through dynamic market conditions, regulatory shifts, and evolving consumer expectations.
Patrick Bird
Director: Citrus + Avocado
Gerhard Fourie
Gerhard Fourie is the Business Manager of Supply Chain for Dole South Africa, overseeing the company’s fully integrated global import and export logistics operations. With two decades of experience across the international supply chain, logistics, and maritime landscapes, Gerhard brings deep technical expertise, strategic foresight and operational excellence to Dole’s end- to-end value chain management.
Gerhard holds a B.Econ and a BPhil in Maritime Studies from the University of Stellenbosch, as well as a Master of Commerce in Development Finance from the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business. He is currently completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Maritime Law through the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden-further deepening his regulatory and international trade knowledge.
His career began at the National Ports Authority of South Africa, before progressing into senior supply chain roles across the retail and logistics sectors. At the Shoprite Group, he played a pivotal role in building cross-border supply chain networks during Shoprite’s rapid expansion into West and Central Africa. He later served as General Manager: International Operations at RTT, managing regional distribution flows between South Africa and the SADC markets.
Since joining Dole South Africa in 2018, Gerhard has led the company’s internal supply chain function, which operates as a fully in-sourced logistics platform. His team manages all aspects of operational planning, freight, compliance, cold chain and export execution. In addition to his local responsibilities, Gerhard represents Dole South Africa on Dole Plc’s global logistics forum-Dole Logistics Services (DLS), where he contributes to group-wide optimisation initiatives, global carrier engagement and strategic project development across geographies.
Gerhard’s hybrid background in shipping economics, commercial supply chain execution and development finance positions him as a key enabler of Dole South Africa’s growth in complex and fast-evolving trade environments. His leadership continues to enhance the agility, resilience, and cost efficiency of the company’s logistical architecture on both inbound and outbound fronts.
Gerhard Fourie
BM Supply Chain
Sias Fouché
Sias holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Stellenbosch University, as well as B.Sc and B.Sc(Hons) degrees in Information Technology from the University of South Africa. He brings over 25 years of experience in systems engineering, process automation and IT strategy across heavy industry and agribusiness sectors.
In his current role as Business Manager: Systems & IT at Dole South Africa, Sias is responsible for the strategic integration and optimisation of enterprise systems across the organisation. His focus includes digital transformation, systems governance, business intelligence and driving technology-enabled operational efficiency across the value chain.
Prior to joining Dole, Sias held multiple senior roles at ArcelorMittal South Africa, including Manager for Level 2 Process Automation Systems, Senior Engineer, and Systems Analyst. His early career also included a role as Process Expert, giving him deep exposure to industrial process optimisation and applied systems thinking.
His multidisciplinary background enables him to bridge operational needs with digital solutions, positioning IT as a core enabler of business performance and resilience within Dole’s operations.
Sias Fouché
BM Systems and IT
Sandrien Melck
Sandrien Melck serves as the Business Manager: People & Culture at Dole South Africa, where she leads the company’s strategic human capital agenda with a people-first, business-aligned mindset. With over 20 years of experience across complex, fast-paced and operationally intensive environments, Sandrien brings a proven ability to align workforce strategy with commercial outcomes, making her a key contributor to Dole SA’s organisational resilience and talent sustainability.
Sandrien holds a BA in Industrial Psychology and Organisational Development (UNISA) and a Management Development Certificate from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Her expertise spans the full HR value chain, including organisational design, change management, employee engagement, talent acquisition, performance management and transformation.
Her career includes HR leadership roles at organisations such as Shell South Africa, Metcash Africa, Clover/Danone and Queenspark (Rex Trueform Group). In these positions, she has led high-impact initiatives such as SAP systems implementations, organisational restructuring, divestments, strategic workforce planning and large-scale cultural transformations. Her ability to lead through complexity and transition has consistently delivered value across both unionised and non-unionised environments.
Since joining Dole South Africa in 2021, Sandrien has embedded a forward-looking people strategy focused on high-impact leadership development, inclusion, succession planning and culture transformation. She plays a critical role in ensuring Dole’s workforce capability keeps pace with business growth, while also championing operational efficiency and employee well- being.
Known for her commercial acumen and human-centred leadership style, Sandrien is a trusted strategic partner to the executive team and a key enabler of the company’s long-term competitiveness. Her leadership continues to strengthen Dole SA’s employer brand, organisational agility and overall performance culture.
Sandrien Melck
BM People and Culture
Anton Gouws
Anton Gouws is the Commercial Business Manager at Dole South Africa, overseeing a diverse portfolio that includes citrus, grapes, stone fruit and blueberries exported across multiple global markets – including Canada, the Middle East, Russia, Southeast Asia and Europe. A technically grounded, commercially driven leader, Anton brings over 15 years of experience in the agricultural export sector, underpinned by academic depth, cross-functional acumen and an entrepreneurial approach to market development.
Anton holds a B.Sc Agric, M.Sc Agric and an MBA from Stellenbosch University. His early career was rooted in post-harvest science, with a focus on quality assurance, physiology, and food safety. During his tenure at Kromco, he led post-harvest technical operations and collaborated closely with commercial teams to align product quality with global market standards – a role that sparked his transition from technical to commercial leadership. Anton’s academic research has been published internationally and he has completed additional qualifications in food safety, conflict management and negotiation.
In 2015, he pivoted to a full-time commercial role, successfully developing Kromco’s local market presence and eventually managing exports to key regions across Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Africa. His leadership directly influenced a substantial share of the company’s total marketing volume. Anton joined Dole SA in 2019 to lead its Commercial division, where he now manages a team of Key Account Managers responsible for market optimisation, customer relationships and pricing strategy across the company’s global trade footprint.
In August 2024, Anton was appointed to the Board of Fiesta Fresh, a newly formed, Dole-owned commercial subsidiary. As of 2025, he also oversees Dole South Africa’s import programme, including grapes, citrus, kiwifruit, and garlic – further extending his value chain leadership across inbound and outbound trade.
Anton’s strengths lie in strategic market positioning, cross-border commercial execution and customer-centric value creation. His ability to bridge technical insight with global commercial strategy continues to support Dole’s growth trajectory and competitive resilience in the evolving fresh produce landscape.
Anton Gouws
BM Soft Fruits + Commercial
Servaas Badenhorst
Servaas Badenhorst serves as the General Manager of Production for Dole South Africa, bringing over 22 years of hands-on agricultural experience, including 17 years in leadership roles within large-scale farming enterprises. He holds a National Diploma in Agricultural Management and is widely recognised for his operational precision, people leadership and performance-driven approach across the fresh produce sector.
In his current role, Servaas is responsible for managing all production operations across Dole SA’s farming portfolio, with a focus on aligning agronomic practices to international quality standards, optimising output per hectare and ensuring alignment between field operations and downstream market requirements. His scope includes overseeing planning cycles, productivity optimisation, input cost management and sustainability measures across diverse production regions.
Prior to joining Dole, Servaas was General Manager: Grapes at Cape Orchard Company, where he successfully managed the production of approximately 960 000 cartons (4,5 kg) of table grapes per annum. This role, along with other key positions in primary agriculture, provided him with deep category-specific experience in both grapes and citrus and honed his ability to lead high-performance teams in dynamic agricultural environments.
Servaas combines strong managerial acumen with a deep understanding of people, soil and systems-driving high-yield results while fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. His practical expertise, coupled with a strategic orientation, plays a central role in Dole South Africa’s commitment to quality, sustainability and operational resilience across its production base.
Servaas Badenhorst
GM Production
(All Farms)
DeVilliers Duvenhage
DeVilliers Duvenhage is a seasoned citrus professional with more than two decades of experience spanning citrus production, procurement, marketing and export logistics. In his role as Assistant Business Manager: Citrus at Dole South Africa, he plays a strategic role in managing commercial risk, optimising supplier relationships and supporting long-term volume growth aligned with the company’s export objectives.
With a Diploma and Higher Certificate in Agriculture (Plant Production) from Lowveld Agricultural College, DeVilliers has also completed a wide range of specialised short courses in GlobalGAP, citrus packing, pest control, soil and irrigation management, logistics and EQ leadership. His hands-on technical knowledge is matched by his strong commercial acumen and stakeholder management capability.
DeVilliers joined Dole in 2003 and has since held several key positions including Area Manager, Northern Region Senior Manager and Product Manager: Grapefruit. These roles have equipped him with a broad operational perspective and the ability to manage supply chain complexity while maintaining a strong customer and grower focus. His leadership has contributed to significant volume growth and improved market outcomes across multiple citrus categories.
In addition to his corporate experience, DeVilliers is also an active commercial grower and owner of LDV Boerdery and a director and co-owner of Elandsvalley Citrus, farming more than 60 ha of soft citrus under net and managing high-tech irrigation and production systems. This dual exposure gives him a rare 360-degree view of the industry – from orchard to market – and enhances his ability to support Dole’s growers through practical insight and shared experience.
With a deep understanding of industry dynamics and a strong focus on operational delivery, DeVilliers remains an important contributor to the strength, scale and performance of Dole’s Southern African citrus program.
DeVilliers Duvenhage
Asst BM Citrus
René de Jongh
René de Jong is the Assistant Business Manager: Finance at Dole South Africa, where she plays a pivotal role in financial operations, performance analysis and business support across the organisation. A seasoned and highly capable financial leader, René’s journey is one of remarkable progression – having transitioned from a background in Human Resources into a senior finance function through sheer tenacity, applied learning and on-the-ground experience.
René holds a B.Comm degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Stellenbosch. She joined Dole South Africa in 2006 and quickly became embedded in the operational and commercial fabric of the business. Through consistent exposure to the business’s financial mechanics, René developed a deep, practical understanding of the company’s financial systems, cost structures and commercial drivers. Over nearly two decades, she has grown into a high-performing finance professional known for her accuracy, discipline and solution-oriented mindset.
Working directly under the Director of Finance & Business Development, René is a trusted partner in supporting budgeting, forecasting and reporting processes, while also contributing to risk mitigation, audit readiness and operational efficiency projects. Her institutional knowledge, coupled with her hands-on problem-solving approach, makes her an invaluable asset to both finance and the wider leadership team.
René’s story reflects not only the strength of her personal growth mindset, but also Dole South Africa’s ability to foster and elevate internal talent. She continues to be recognised for her analytical acumen, cross-functional collaboration and the critical support she provides to strategic financial decision-making.
René de Jong
Asst BM Finance