A Fruitful Partnership with United Exports
This report presents findings from introducing IFC’s Gender Equality and Returns (GEAR) program to Africa’s agribusiness sector, following its success in Asia’s apparel industry.
GEAR is a comprehensive training program that builds the leadership and management capacities of women employees, helping them advance and succeed in supervisory and management roles. In partnership with United Exports, a major fruit producer and exporter in South Africa, IFC customized and delivered GEAR across six farms.
The training program strengthened women employees’ leadership and management skills, including self‑confidence, communication, problem‑solving, and people management—capabilities critical during high‑pressure harvest seasons.
Following the training, most participants reported improved productivity in the operations they supervised, while many assumed greater responsibilities or progressed into new roles.
This pilot demonstrated the relevance and benefits of the GEAR program in a completely new context, highlighting the importance of building employees’ personal and professional capacities while engaging line managers to create a supportive environment for career development.
Drawing on the pilot, complementary research, and previous GEAR experiences, the report provides key insights and lessons learned for designing and delivering similar programs and explores how GEAR can be scaled to advance women’s careers, job quality, and operational performance across Africa’s agribusiness sector.
