South Africa has entered into a new trade agreement with China that, for the first time, permits local growers to export five varieties of stone fruit—apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, and prunes—to Chinese consumers. The deal was formalized in Shanghai by South African Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and Sun Meijun from China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC). This marks the first instance where China granted access to several types of stone fruit from one country under a single trade protocol.
Minister Steenhuisen hailed the protocol as a significant milestone for South African fruit growers and exporters, especially as the nation seeks to broaden its agricultural trade markets.
“This protocol is part of a broader strategy to make South African agriculture less dependent on traditional buyers and more responsive to new consumption patterns such as China’s growing middle class,” he added.
Gaining access to China’s expansive market may help counterbalance the effects of U.S. tariffs on South African plums. The new protocol is projected to generate approximately R400 million in trade over the next five years, with the potential to double within ten years.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the 2025-26 export season could yield R28 million, increasing to R54 million in 2026-27. Demand in China for peaches and plums has surged, surpassing 21 million cartons of peaches and nectarines and 20 million cartons of plums in 2024, exceeding South Africa’s entire seasonal export output.
By 2032-33, exports to China are expected to make up approximately 5% of South Africa’s total export volumes. The new protocol is also anticipated to generate 350 direct jobs on farms and in packing facilities, along with around 600 additional roles in supporting sectors like logistics and packaging. A technical delegation from China’s GACC has been invited to inspect South African cherry and blueberry orchards and packhouses during the upcoming harvest.
If the inspection goes ahead as scheduled, South Africa could secure access to the Chinese cherry market by the next harvest season, further deepening agricultural trade relations between the two countries.
Minister Steenhuisen also urged agricultural exporters to utilize the Shanghai Freight Services network to improve the speed and reliability of delivering South African products to China.
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