The South African table grape industry concluded the 2025/26 season with a steady performance despite a challenging operating environment, reflecting continued stability across production and export activities.
According to Mecia Petersen, CEO of the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI), the season demonstrated the industry's ability to adapt under pressure.
"While it is worth noting that we achieved steady export volumes, the 2025/26 table grape season was highly challenging, with growers facing significant commercial pressure amid weather-related disruptions and logistics delays," said Petersen.
© SATI
Nationally, total table grape plantings decreased marginally by 0.4% to 19,404 hectares, continuing a decade-long trend towards stabilisation.
Despite the slight decline in planted area, the industry recorded its largest harvest to date, supported by improved yields from newer cultivars.
Final figures show that 81.25 million cartons (4.5 kg cartons) were inspected for export, representing a 3% increase year-on-year, while total exports reached 78.3 million cartons. These volumes remained within the upper limit of the initial crop estimate.
"The logistics challenges experienced this season remain a key concern," Petersen noted. "We acknowledge that work is underway across the Transnet Port Terminals network, and these issues must be addressed to ensure consistent and improved performance in future seasons."
The proportion of exports shipped through the Port of Cape Town declined from 91% in the previous season to 76%. Meanwhile, volumes shipped through Eastern Cape ports increased from 6% of total exports in 2024/25 to 21% this year, although this came at additional cost to exporters and producers.
From a market perspective, Europe and the UK accounted for 83% of South Africa's table grape exports in the 2025/26 season.
"The global export market landscape is becoming increasingly complex," said Petersen. "This reinforces the need for us to remain focused on quality, consistency, and reliability, which are the hallmarks of the South African industry."
The industry is also exploring opportunities in Asia, including improved access to China following the announcement of a temporary zero-tariff preference scheme for 20 least developed African countries, including South Africa.
South Africa also shipped table grapes to the Philippines for the first time this year after gaining market access in 2025.
In February 2026, the export protocol for South African table grapes to the Republic of Korea was concluded and published, enabling the first consignments to be sent in 2027 once the remaining processes have been finalised.
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© SATIFor more information:
Denene Erasmus
SATI
Tel: +27 21 863 0366
Email: [email protected]
www.satgi.co.za
