info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
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South Africa is currently an important player in the global fresh fruit market. In the past year, South Africa exported about 3.6 million tons of fresh fruit worth 2.7 billion euros. In terms of export volume, South Africa ranks sixth among the world's fruit exporters.
Slightly less than half the South African export is focused on Europe. With nearly 20 per cent, the Netherlands is their most important buyer, followed by the UK with more than 10 per cent. China (including Hong Kong) comes third with 8 per cent And Russia is their fourth buyer with 6 per cent of the total.
The South African export of fresh fruit has continued to rise in recent years. According to figures of the South African tax authorities / Customs (SARS), the increase of export to EU countries, including the Netherlands, has practically come to a standstill. 2018, SARS registered an export of fresh fruit to the Netherlands of 708,000 tonnes, just a fraction more than in 2017.
According to SARS data, growth markets were mostly China, Portugal, Canada, Bangladesh, the US, Iraq and Qatar, in 2018 as well.
The EU remains the most important (direct) sales market, with a volume of 1.52 million tonnes in 2018. This was practically the same as in 2017, but more than in previous years. Compared to 2010, South Africa exported a quarter (more than 300,000 tonnes) more to the EU.
Asia is on the rise as a buyer of South African fruit. In 2018, 1.17 million tonnes was shipped to that continent. That was 6 per cent more than in 2017, and more than 60 per cent more than in 2010. China in particular is on the rise. Last year, (direct) export to that country increased by 70 per cent, to 180,000 tonnes. An additional 130,000 tonnes was shipped to Hong Kong. The products sent to China and Hong Kong are citrus, grapes and top fruit. Avocados are not shipped there because of the import ban.
Russia is also an important buyer of South African fruit, although sales to this country have fluctuated around levels of 210,000 to 240,000 tonnes for years. It was much less in 2016. Last year, it concerned 226,000 tonnes. Oranges are the most important product, followed by pears, tangerines and grapefruit.
With a third of the total, oranges are the most important export product by far. In 2018, the limit of 1.2 million tonnes was surpassed for the first time. The Netherlands is the most important buyer. With an excess of more than 40 per cent, China was the second-largest buyer last year. They are followed by Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. A remarkably large number of South African oranges are sent to Portugal as well. Compared to other products, relatively few South African oranges are sent to the UK. South Africa exports fair amounts of oranges to many other countries.