by Ntandoyenkosi Ncube
JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- South Africa is seeking to expand its agricultural exports to China, capitalizing on newly secured market access and preferential zero-tariff arrangements to diversify export destinations, attract investment and create new opportunities for local producers, officials from the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) have said.
The push comes as South Africa faces growing uncertainty over its preferential trade access to the United States, after Washington announced on Monday that it intends to terminate South Africa's eligibility for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) from Jan. 1, 2027.
The South African government expressed regret over the U.S. decision, saying it would support affected industries and businesses while continuing to diversify markets and strengthen trade relations with partners worldwide.
Against this backdrop, expanding access to the Chinese market is part of South Africa's broader efforts to strengthen its agricultural export base, reduce reliance on traditional destinations, and promote higher-value agricultural production.
CHINA OPENS OPPORTUNITIES
Thabile Nkunjana, senior economist in the Trade Research Unit at NAMC, said China offers significant opportunities for South Africa's agricultural sector because of its large consumer market, growing food demand and potential to diversify the country's export destinations.
"China's market size, purchasing power, and increasing importance in international agricultural trade make it strategically significant to South Africa," Nkunjana said in an interview with Xinhua.
With a population of approximately 1.4 billion, China represents a substantial potential market for South African agricultural products. Rising urban incomes and changing consumption patterns have also contributed to demand for a wider range of imported food products.
South Africa enjoys a counter-seasonal production advantage, with its harvesting periods often coinciding with periods when supplies from Northern Hemisphere producers are relatively limited, Nkunjana said.
Another development expected to improve the competitiveness of South African exports is that, as of May 1, 2026, China extended zero-tariff treatment to imports from all 53 African nations with which it maintains diplomatic relations.
Nkunjana cited apples as an example, saying that reducing applicable import tariffs from 10 percent to zero could lower costs for Chinese importers and allow South African exporters to improve their profit margins or offer more competitive prices.
The preferential arrangement provides additional opportunities for South African agricultural producers to strengthen their presence in China while maintaining established trading relationships in other international markets.
The opening of the Chinese market to South African fresh cherries for the first time represents another significant development for the country's horticultural industry.
On Sept. 8, 2026, South African Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp and Sun Meijun, head of China's General Administration of Customs, signed a phytosanitary protocol in Beijing granting South African cherry producers access to the Chinese market.
China imported approximately 586,900 tonnes of cherries worth 3.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, making it the world's largest cherry-importing market, South African government figures showed.
South African cherry production is projected to increase from approximately 3,300 tonnes in the 2024/25 season to about 5,100 tonnes in 2025/26, reflecting the expansion of orchards and the gradual entry of younger trees into production, said Solly Molepo, manager of Trade Research and project manager for the Agriculture and Agro-processing Masterplan at NAMC.
He said expanding production capacity and developing supporting infrastructure across the agricultural value chain would be important if South Africa is to make full use of newly available export opportunities.
South African producers will nevertheless face competition from established international suppliers, particularly Chile, a major supplier of cherries to China.
"South African exporters would need to carefully position their shipments around competing suppliers' marketing seasons while maintaining consistent quality and reliable supply to secure a foothold in the Chinese market," said Mahlogedi Thindisa, senior manager at NAMC's Markets and Economic Research Center.
STRATEGIC MARKET SHIFT
Beyond cherries, South Africa sees considerable potential to expand exports of wine, macadamia nuts, citrus, stone fruit, apples, avocados and rooibos to China.
Nkunjana said market-access negotiations and trade protocols for several agricultural products were progressing, while existing arrangements had helped support exports of citrus, table grapes and apples.
Opportunities are also emerging beyond fresh fruit. Arrangements covering products such as dairy and greasy wool, together with progress in animal-health cooperation and foot-and-mouth disease compartmentalisation, could help facilitate exports of additional South African livestock products, including beef, subject to the relevant regulatory approvals.
The development of new export markets has gained added importance following the latest developments in South Africa's trade relations with the U.S.
On Monday, the U.S. government announced its intention to terminate South Africa's participation in AGOA, which provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for thousands of products, as of Jan. 1, 2027.
Washington cited concerns over trade and investment barriers, corruption, and issues relating to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
The South African government said it would support affected industries and businesses while continuing engagement with Washington and pursuing opportunities in other markets.
South Africa's Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has previously emphasized that South Africa's export strategy involves expanding access to markets across the African Continental Free Trade Area, India, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Southern Common Market, and China.
The government has also highlighted efforts to secure new market access for agricultural products, including citrus, avocados, grapes, and apples.
Against this broader backdrop, stronger agricultural trade with China offers South African producers an additional avenue for export growth and market diversification.
OVERCOMING ACCESS BARRIERS
Despite opportunities, administrative bottlenecks, regulatory requirements, and logistical constraints remain major challenges for South African exporters seeking to establish a sustainable presence in China.
Nkunjana said exporters of products such as wine and fresh cherries had encountered delays in obtaining the necessary export and import certificates, disrupting shipments despite progress in market-access arrangements.
Thindisa said Chinese consumers represented a diverse market, requiring exporters to invest in brand differentiation, Mandarin-language packaging and digital marketing platforms, including e-commerce channels such as WeChat.
"Producers would also need to adapt product sizes and marketing strategies to regional consumer preferences," Thindisa said.
Strict food safety and phytosanitary requirements also demand consistent production standards, inspections and regulatory compliance.
For perishable products, particularly fresh cherries, efficient cold-chain infrastructure and reliable logistics are essential to ensuring that produce reaches consumers in good condition.
Nkunjana said South Africa needed to accelerate administrative and phytosanitary procedures, including the approval of production units, packhouses, cold-storage facilities and fumigation facilities by China's General Administration of Customs.
Molepo called for greater investment in logistics infrastructure, market research, branding and long-term commercial partnerships with Chinese importers.
He said stronger agricultural value chains would enable South African producers to respond more effectively to new market opportunities, improve production capacity and increase the value generated locally.
Through platforms such as the BRICS Business Forum, South African businesses could strengthen direct engagement with Chinese buyers and better align local agricultural varieties and products with consumer preferences in different regions of China, Thindisa said.
Nkunjana said expanding agricultural exports could also help broaden the composition of South Africa's trade with China by increasing the contribution of higher-value agricultural products alongside traditional mineral and metal exports.
Beyond cherries, he said South Africa should prioritize other competitive horticultural products, including blueberries, by advancing the necessary phytosanitary negotiations and addressing product-specific market-access requirements.
Molepo said stronger agricultural trade ties with China could stimulate domestic production, attract investment in orchards and agricultural infrastructure, support regional logistics development and create jobs.
Such developments would contribute not only to agricultural growth but also to South Africa's broader objectives of industrialization, employment creation and export diversification.
The NAMC is a South African statutory body established to advise the government on agricultural marketing policy and promote the development, efficiency and competitiveness of the country's agricultural sector. ■
