China trade deal to unlock R400 million market for SA’s stone fruit

Zuko Komisa

South Africa and China signed a historic trade protocol granting market access for five South African stone fruits, including peaches, plums, and apricots.

The agreement is projected to unlock approximately R400 million in export value over five years and create hundreds of new direct and linked jobs.

The deal diversifies South African agricultural exports, reduces reliance on traditional markets, and opens the door for future trade in products like cherries and beef.

South Africa’s stone fruit farmers have secured a major boost with a historic trade protocol signed with China.

The deal, signed in Shanghai by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, grants access to the Chinese market for five varieties: apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, and prunes.

This marks the first time China has approved multiple stone fruit types from a single country under one agreement.

Minister Steenhuisen hailed the protocol as a “major breakthrough” for agricultural resilience and market diversification, particularly noting it would help offset the impact of US tariffs on plums.

He projected the new market could unlock approximately R400 million in value over the next five years, with potential for that figure to double within a decade.

The first export season (2025/26) is expected to generate R28 million.

The Minister noted that the growth in exports is also projected to create approximately 350 new direct jobs on farms and packhouses over the next ten years.

In related discussions, Steenhuisen also reviewed the resumption of South African beef exports and invited a Chinese technical team to visit the country for inspections, which could soon lead to cherry and blueberry market access.