South Africa is strengthening its citrus export drive into India as growers seek to diversify markets, improve logistics and reduce reliance on traditional destinations amid growing global competition.
India approved additional fruit-fly cold-treatment options for fresh South African citrus on August 18, following almost a decade of negotiations. The new protocols are expected to give exporters greater flexibility while supporting fruit quality during shipments.
South Africa’s citrus exports to India have grown rapidly. Volumes increased 85% in 2025, with shipments rising from fewer than 4,000 pallets in 2016 to about 54,000 pallets last year, according to the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa.
India’s population of about 1.47 billion makes it an increasingly important market. South Africa’s counterseasonal production also gives exporters an opportunity to supply citrus when domestic Indian availability is lower.
However, tariffs remain a significant obstacle. South African citrus faces Most-Favoured-Nation duties of around 25% to 30% in India, placing it at a disadvantage to some southern hemisphere competitors with preferential trade agreements.
Market diversification is becoming more urgent as South Africa faces a difficult 2026 citrus season. The industry has reduced its export forecast to 197.9 million 15kg cartons, from an initial estimate of 209.4 million cartons, with Valencia and Navel orange forecasts also revised lower.
The Citrus Growers’ Association has cited disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict, including changes to shipping routes, container shortages, port congestion and higher logistics costs. These pressures are increasing the importance of developing alternative markets across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and other regions.
South Africa remains the world’s largest citrus exporter by volume, shipping about 2.9 million tonnes in 2025. Citrus accounted for 17% of the country’s US$15.1 billion agricultural exports, while the sector supports more than 100,000 jobs.
The push for new markets is also spreading across southern Africa. Zimbabwe exported about 69.1 million kilograms of citrus in 2025, up 9% from 2024, while a US$25 million citrus processing plant in Beitbridge is adding capacity for juice and other processed products.
Botswana is similarly expanding its citrus industry through the Selebi Phikwe project, with total committed investment reaching about 750 million pula. Production is expected to rise to 35,000–40,000 tonnes annually, with India, China and the UAE identified as potential markets.
Morocco is also strengthening its position through mandarins, tangerines and citrus processing. The country expects to export about 550,000 tonnes of mandarins and tangerines in 2025/26, while expanding processing capacity as competition in European markets intensifies.
Across Africa, the citrus industry is therefore moving toward a more diversified model that combines expanded production, local processing and broader market access. For South Africa and emerging producers such as Zimbabwe and Botswana, securing new consumers in Asia could become increasingly important to long-term export growth.