South Africa has officially become the world’s largest citrus exporter by volume after shipping 2.9 million tonnes of citrus during 2025, narrowly overtaking Spain in global export rankings.
According to the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA), the latest export figures reflect the continued expansion of South Africa’s export-driven citrus sector and its growing role within global fresh produce supply chains.
However, industry leaders warn that rising logistics costs, shipping disruptions and market access barriers continue placing significant pressure on growers despite the export milestone.
Logistics and shipping costs weigh on grower margins
Boitshoko Ntshabele said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has increased concerns around fuel prices and shipping routes, adding further strain to exporter margins.
Growers are also facing:
- Rising agricultural input costs,
- volatile global pricing conditions,
- tariff barriers,and phytosanitary restrictions in export markets.
The industry says these pressures highlight the urgent need for stronger logistics infrastructure and expanded market access as export volumes continue growing.
Market access remains critical for future growth
The CGA’s long-term development strategy, known as Vision 260, aims to increase South African citrus exports to 260 million cartons by 2032.
Achieving that target will depend heavily on improved access to key international markets including:
- the European Union,
- the United States,
- India,
- and China.
The association stressed that South Africa’s ranking refers specifically to export volumes rather than total citrus production, noting that countries such as China, Brazil and Spain produce substantial citrus volumes primarily for domestic consumption.
South Africa and Spain remain complementary suppliers
The CGA also cautioned against viewing the ranking shift as a permanent structural change in global citrus trade.
Spain has experienced difficult climatic and production conditions in recent seasons, which reduced export availability and contributed to South Africa narrowly taking the lead.
According to the association, South Africa and Spain continue to play complementary seasonal roles within the global citrus market.
Spain primarily supplies Northern Hemisphere consumers during its domestic season, while South Africa fills supply gaps during the Northern Hemisphere summer period, ensuring year-round citrus availability in major retail markets.
Government calls for stronger trade and infrastructure support
John Steenhuisen praised the industry’s achievement, highlighting South Africa’s strong compliance with international plant health standards and reputation for high-quality fruit.
However, Steenhuisen also stressed the importance of strengthening infrastructure and trade diplomacy to support continued export growth.
According to the minister, expanding production must be matched by improvements in port efficiency, logistics capacity and efforts to secure new export opportunities while protecting existing markets.
The latest export milestone reinforces South Africa’s growing importance within global fresh produce trade, even as the industry faces mounting operational and geopolitical challenges affecting international agricultural supply chains.