OUR HISTORY
All About
Uniflo Roses
Uniflo consists of five rose farms, situated throughout the northern regions of South Africa, with a brand new 5 hectares subsidiary in the Western Cape, that will soon start to produce. The combined 40 hectares produces an odd 60 million stems of quality fresh-cut roses every year which contribute to nearly 80% of all South African produced roses. The company was established in 1996, by combining our strengths as rose growers, we are able to take advantage of economies of scale offered in the industry.
Since then Uniflo has grown to become the largest rose supplier in South Africa, supplying the local market and having the resources to export our roses to a range of countries worldwide. Today the company consists of five rose farms, two depots in Johannesburg and Cape Town, as well as a centralised Head Office, all employing nearly 1000 people. The mission of Uniflo is to ensure continuity and diversity of quality roses to the satisfaction of our business partners by dynamic, efficient and effective production and marketing.
All About
Uniflo Roses
Uniflo consists of seven rose farms situated throughout the northern regions of South Africa. The 35 combined hectares produces an odd 50 million stems of quality fresh-cut roses every year which contribute to nearly 70% of all South African produced roses. The company was established in 1996, by combining our strengths as rose growers, we are able to take advantage of economies of scale offered in the industry.
Since then Uniflo has grown to become the largest rose supplier in South Africa, supplying the local and international market by exporting to a range of countries worldwide. Today the company consists of seven rose farms, two depots in Johannesburg and Cape Town, as well as a centralised Head Office, all employing nearly 1000 people. The mission of Uniflo is to ensure continuity and diversity of quality roses to the satisfaction of our business partners by dynamic, efficient and effective production and marketing.
Our Vision
To be the leaders in the floriculture industry by being committed, urgent and passionate in all that we do. With our diverse range of varieties, the year round production, environmental initiatives, as well as our research on climate adaptability, it is easy to see that our vision of being the leader is by no means a far-fetched goal.
Export Roses
Uniflo, with nearly 15 years of experience in rose exports, has the required infrastructure and resources in place to export our South-African produced roses to many countries worldwide. South Africa offers many advantages to the rose grower and exporter in Africa. Our infrastructure consists of
Good transport networks
Cost-effective airfreight
Reliable communications
Assured supply of all inputs required in rose growin
We have the necessary post-harvest techniques in place to ensure a maximum vase life for export roses. We also focus on marketing directly to customers, while building good relationships and shortening the supply chain as much as possible. With the necessary systems already in place, we are proud and confident to share our roses with the world.
The Five Rose Farms
The five rose farms are situated throughout the northern parts of South Africa, all within a four-hour drive of Johannesburg, which is our main local distribution point. A brand new subsidiary will be launched in the Western Cape, which will also supply our Cape depot. From the various farms, the roses are transported, by refrigerated trucks, to the hub in Johannesburg, from where they are distributed to the Cape depot and various other clients. The varying locations and climates of the different farms ensure continuity in production and extended production life. We are also proudly “Farming for the Future” certified.
Our Farming Techniques
The farms all consist of the latest technology developed for effective rose cultivation, including:
Temperature-regulated greenhouses
Integrated pest management
Centralised irrigation systems
Specifically developed quality management procedures for roses
All of these innovations ensure that only the best roses leave our farms. All the farms use test facilities, working in conjunction with leading rose breeders, to test the latest varieties in the shifting climates of the farms across the country. We also employ market research initiatives to measure the acceptability of certain varieties in the South African and international markets.
The Uniflo Belief
At Uniflo we believe in working with the environment, rather than against it. That is why we have various procedures in place to ensure that we minimise the use of harmful pesticides and chemicals. As part of this initiative we introduced the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system that manages pest damage in the most ecologically friendly way, with the least amount of harm to people, crops and the environment. In layman’s terms, the system releases insect predators to prey on harmful pests that destroy roses.
We also provide comfortable homes for owls and wild cats to take care of rodents, so we don’t have to. Recycling and re-using are high on our priority list, which means we try to reuse waste to our own advantage. All our drained water from the roses is recycled on the farm’s pastures and the organic waste from the roses are converted into compost which is then used around the farm on maize fields and tree plantations. We try to keep most of our processes organic.
Our company is “Farming For The Future” certified and each year our farms and depots are inspected to ensure that we keep to these high standards. We’re inspired to continuously improve our production practices in order to minimize our impact on the environment. The agricultural industry is a pillar of economic development in S.A that needs stimulation from the local trade between producers and distributors of roses and flowers nationwide. It supports the livelihoods of South Africans across different levels of the supply chain. We encourage the production of roses locally to ensure that we support the South African economy, and shorten the supply chain for those seeking new, beautiful roses.
Rose Depots
Roses In Cape Town
Our depot in Cape Town is situated in Joostenbergvlakte, an estimated 2,4 km from the N1, and is easily accessible. The depot supplies roses to Cape Town and other areas in the Western Cape. The depot houses the Western Cape pack house as well as the Uniflo head office. It consists of several cooling units running at optimum rose storage temperatures, a production area where roses are packed and prepared for clients, and the vase room facility that measures the vase life of the different varieties at room temperature. The main objective of the depot is to supply quality roses to its various customers, which consist of approximately 97% retailer production and 2% bouquet makers and 1% private sector. The private sector ranges from members of the public to wedding coordinators. Activities at the depot include a quality check and labelling of each bunch to ensure the best quality roses.
Our Gauteng Depot is situated right next to the Multiflora flower market, City Deep, Johannesburg, and supplies roses to the greater Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal and surrounding areas. The Gauteng depot is Uniflo’s main distribution point for local supply, as well as the flower market itself.
The Gauteng depot receives roses within 24 hours after the cut-stage and distributes the roses to retailers. The main purpose of the depot is to serve as a link between the growers and the Cape Town depot and to supply to the local need in Gauteng. The depot is focused on supplying only the best roses to customers.
Roses In Gauteng
Happy Customers
