The season’s first shipment of avocados to China has been welcomed as a milestone for SA agriculture with agriculture minister John Steenhuisen praising it as “testament to the hard work, innovation and strategic foresight” of the country’s fruit producers.
This follows a phytosanitary agreement signed between SA and China in August 2023, which paved the way for the inaugural 21-tonne consignment — shipped by Westfalia Fruit — to land in Shanghai in October 2024.
The shipment marked SA’s formal entry into the Chinese avocado market, making it only the third African nation after Kenya and Tanzania to do so.
The SA government is prioritising improved market access for the country’s agricultural sector by expanding existing markets and opening new ones for its products.
“SA is positioned as a major player in the global avocado market thanks to the investment made by businesses like ZZ2 in cutting-edge packhouses and nurseries, Core Fruit’s well-established expertise in exports, and Mission Produce’s global reach,” Steenhuisen said.
He added that SA’s shipping time to China was significantly shorter than that of competitors such as Peru, giving local growers a seasonal and logistical advantage.
“This logistical edge, coupled with ZZ2’s early production timing, allows SA avocados to access the Chinese market during a period of lower supply,” the statement reads.
The avocado milestone comes at a time when the citrus industry — one of SA’s top agricultural export earners — is also pursuing deeper access to China, in response to rising global trade barriers and shifting geopolitical alliances.
The urgency to diversify markets has been reinforced by recent trade tension with the US. A 31% tariff on SA citrus, imposed by Washington and later paused, cast a long shadow over the sector’s reliance on the US market.
In a recent meeting with the Chinese ambassador to SA, Wu Peng, CEOs of the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa (CGA) and Fruit SA discussed accelerating citrus trade relations.
“Very fruitful discussion,” Peng wrote. “In this turbulent world caused by trade protectionism, China and SA need to strengthen our bilateral trade and economic co-operation. [The] Chinese government welcomes more SA agricultural and industrial products to enter huge Chinese markets.”
According to CGA CEO Boitshoko Ntshabele, market expansion is a top priority, and the association estimates that by 2032, increased citrus exports could generate more than 100,000 additional jobs across the value chain.
At the same time, Agri SA CEO Johann Kotzé noted the Chinese market offered particular promise for fruit and livestock, provided tariffs were lowered and SA’s animal health systems continued to improve.
He said SA “would like to grow” its agricultural exports to China. “In the case of the fruit industry it is important that we address the high tariffs. In the case of the livestock industry, it is important that we share the continued progress in managing animal health.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.