South African Cherries Secure China Market Access, Blueberries Expected To Follow

On Sept. 8, during the 9th China–South Africa Sanitary and Phytosanitary Ministerial Meeting in Beijing, Sun Meijun, director-general of the General Administration of Customs of China, and South African Minister of Agriculture Wille Aucamp jointly signed the protocol for South African cherry exports to China, formally granting South African cherries market access to China. Meanwhile, negotiations for South African blueberry access have also entered the final stage, with the protocol expected to be finalized by the end of the year.

For the 2025/26 season, South African cherry production is projected to reach 5,100 metric tons, representing a 54% increase compared with the 3,300 metric tons harvested in 2024/25. South Africa’s cherry planting area has expanded from 262 hectares in 2016 to 802 hectares today, involving 34 growers and 45 farming units, with most concentrated in the Ceres region of the Western Cape. Approximately 30% of these orchards have not yet reached full production, indicating considerable room for growth as younger trees mature. The opening of the Chinese market for South African cherries coincides with the large-scale entry into production of newly planted orchards, including varieties such as Cheery Nebula and Cheery Cupid.

According to data from the GACC, China imported approximately 586,700 metric tons of fresh cherries in 2025, with an import value of $3.432 billion. Chile accounted for over 98% of the market share, with small volumes coming from the United States, Canada, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.

Although South Africa and Chile are both in the Southern Hemisphere, South African cherries come to market approximately three weeks earlier than Chilean cherries. In the 2025/26 season, South Africa accounted for only 0.27% of total Southern Hemisphere cherry exports, while the total Southern Hemisphere cherry market exceeded 115 million equivalent cartons, with Chile dominating. Globally, South Africa ranks 23rd among cherry-exporting countries, accounting for approximately 0.18% of global exports, whereas Chile accounts for as much as 60%, and Hong Kong, as a re-export hub, accounts for 18%.

South Africa’s cherry industry has identified Asia as a strategic growth market. In the 2025/26 season, exports to Asia surged by 334% year on year, with Singapore, Cambodia and Malaysia together accounting for 69% of South Africa’s cherry exports to Asia. While South Africa’s exports to all major markets increased in volume during the 2025/26 season, Asia was the only market where South Africa’s export share increased compared with the previous season. Meanwhile, market shares in the United Kingdom and Middle East declined, indicating a shift in industry exports from traditional markets toward Asia.

In the 2025/26 season, South African cherry exports reached 488,000 cartons, up 111% year on year. This rapidly growing export capacity is sufficient to support South Africa’s expansion into the new Chinese market without cannibalizing existing markets. At the same time, South Africa faces intense competition from other Southern Hemisphere suppliers, so in the initial phase of access, South African growers will enter the market as a small-volume supplier.

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