At NAMPO Cape 2026, the Glencairns team outlines the company's activities across South Africa's protected-cropping and nursery sectors. The business supplies greenhouses, tunnels, substrates, plastic products and associated materials to a range of commercial operations.

Its customer base spans a range of protected and horticultural production systems, including blueberry, raspberry and strawberry producers, as well as growers of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplants. Glencairns also supplies seed producers and cannabis growers, with vegetable production in areas throughout the country forming part of its broader customer network.

Their network includes blueberry nurseries such as Fall Creek Nursery and Eurafruit in Wellington. The company also supplies growers operating under Haygrove structures, extending its involvement across both nursery production and commercial protected cropping.

© Glencairns

Substrate sourcing and quality Control
A significant part of the company's substrate business involves imports from Sri Lanka and India. Glencairns has established its own office in Sri Lanka to work directly with multiple suppliers and monitor raw-material quality at source.

"Our team is testing the substrate at origin, including parameters such as EC, before it is shipped." The approach is intended to provide greater control over consistency and quality before material enters the South African supply chain. Imported substrates are also subject to South African sanitation, quarantine and inspection requirements administered by the Department of Agriculture.

According to the team, Glencairns works with factories that have the required certification and quarantine arrangements in place, meaning that the import process itself has not presented major operational difficulties.

© Tinneke Hattingh | HortiDaily.com
Steven Cronje and Emile Nieuwoudt of Glencairns substrate supplies at NAMPO Cape 2026

Shipping and weather-related constraints
Logistics have become a more significant consideration for imported substrates. Glencairns has experienced a substantial increase in container costs, with some shipments rising from approximately US$1,700 last year to around US$6,000 currently.

They attribute the increase to several factors, including geopolitical conditions, changes in shipping-line competition, and the cost of repositioning empty containers. Weather conditions in South Asia are another consideration, with multiple monsoon periods affecting production and supply.

"The monsoon season has a direct influence on availability, so we have to plan around it." The company is also monitoring potential effects associated with El Niño on agricultural supply conditions.

Planning around grower demand
Growers are increasingly required to secure substrate orders well in advance. The team adds that orders placed around the monsoon period can create challenges for availability and lead times, making planning important.

Glencairns maintains storage depots in South Africa so that imported material can be held for orders scheduled throughout the year. This provides a buffer between international supply cycles and local production requirements.

Substrate preparation also requires planning. Imported material may need to dry sufficiently before use because material processed while still wet may not expand correctly. "You need to plan very carefully between availability, quality and consistency."

Shipping costs are another variable, requiring the company to balance purchasing when freight rates are favourable against the availability and quality of suitable substrate.

End-of-season substrate use
South African growers have options for managing used substrate after a production cycle. The team states that, unlike regions where land availability can be a major constraint, South Africa has opportunities to repurpose material elsewhere on farms.

"There is not really a major recycling system for end-of-season substrate at present. The material is reused as compost in vineyards, orchards or open-field production by the growers themselves."

This provides an alternative use for spent substrate while reducing the need for immediate disposal from protected-cropping operations.

For more information:
Glencairns
Emile Nieuwoudt, Commercial Manager Western Cape
[email protected]
https://glencairns.co.za