Demand Planner Jobs in Eastern Cape

Hire Resolve is recruiting a Demand Planner in the Eastern Cape for an international food and beverage and fresh produce company that specialises in the global citrus trade. This is a permanent role for an analytical, early-career professional who wants to sit at the centre of production, supply, demand and commercial operations, turning forecasts and fruit volumes into plans the business can actually pack and sell.

About the company and the work

The client is an international company working in food and beverage and fresh produce, with a focus on the global citrus trade. The Demand Planner acts as the critical bridge between production, supply, demand and commercial operations. That means the role is not only about spreadsheets: it connects what the packhouses can produce with what customers want, by variety, grade and count, so that fruit moves to the right buyers at the right time instead of sitting in stock or being promised twice.

Role details and duties

• Analyse production forecasts and track daily actuals, including volumes, varieties, size and count splits, and grade distributions.
• Identify and report variances between forecasted and actual production.
• Analyse commercial customer demand, specifications and requirements by variety, grade and count.
• Identify stock risks, shortages and excesses, and recommend reallocation or alternative customer targets for excess or slow-moving stock.
• Advise the commercial team on available-to-sell inventory, stock excesses and potential substitutions.
• Recommend optimal product allocations based on commercial strategy, to maximise return and prioritise the right customers.
• Prevent overselling, underutilisation or misallocation of fruit.
• Own and maintain company pack plans, translating customer demand into actionable packing schedules.
• Prepare demand analyses and present weekly pack plans to commercial and production teams.
• Track pack plan execution, spot deviations early, and analyse budget versus actual production variances.
• Maintain direct, daily communication with packhouse managers and production teams about packing plans.

Requirements

Only what the source advert states:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, with Industrial Engineering preferred.
• An early-career professional profile.
• Expert or advanced MS Excel capabilities for daily data modelling and analysis.
• Highly analytical, a quick learner, and adaptable under pressure.
• Business-fluent English, written and spoken, and functional Afrikaans comprehension for listening and reading.
• A valid driver’s licence and reliable personal transport.
• Advantageous: the ability to code or build systems that help implement and automate custom planning and forecasting tools.

Where to find and apply safely

Apply only through the original Careers24 advert for this vacancy, using the Apply button on this page. The advert is listed by Hire Resolve, reference 209689, and applications close on 28 December 2026. The salary is listed as R30,000 to R40,000 per month, and the advert notes that the salary can potentially be more, based on experience and skills. Do not pay anyone to apply, and do not share bank details or passwords with anyone claiming to process your application.

Practical tips

• Show your Excel modelling work clearly, especially any forecasting or variance analysis you have done with real volumes.
• Give examples of how you have spotted a mismatch between a forecast and actual output, and what you did about it.
• Mention any Industrial Engineering background and any coding or automation work, since the advert lists that as advantageous.
• Note your driver’s licence and reliable transport, and your Afrikaans comprehension, since both are stated requirements.
• Apply well before the 28 December 2026 closing date.

How the process works

Applications are made through the original Careers24 advert. The advert does not state a shortlisting or feedback timeline, so treat the closing date as the key milestone and keep a copy of your application.

Important information

This post is for information only. We are not the employer and we do not handle applications, shortlisting or hiring decisions. Always confirm the details in the original advert before applying.

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