South Africa sets new record in table grape exports

SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa’s table grape industry has reached a major milestone this season, breaking several export records even as vineyard area decreased by 2%.

According to Jacques Ferreira, commercial affairs manager for the South African Table Grape Industry (Sati), the country exported 77.4 million cartons of table grapes this season—5% more than the previous year.

This achievement followed the largest national harvest ever, with 78.9 million cartons produced, a 4% increase from the last season.

“The growth in export volumes reflects how well the industry has managed this season,” said Ferreira. “We’re seeing clear results from the shift to higher-yielding cultivars.”

During the peak export period—weeks two to six of 2025—inspection teams broke their own record by checking more than seven million cartons each week.

Ferreira said this is part of a 10-year trend, with inspection volumes growing by 3.2% over that period.

The industry expects further gains as older vineyards are replaced with new ones that produce more fruit.

Port improvements make a difference

Export routes also shifted this season. A combined 90% of grapes moved through the Cape Town Container Terminal and Cape Town Multi-Purpose Terminal, up from 82% last season.

Meanwhile, volumes through the Eastern Cape dropped from 11% to 6%, and Durban’s share fell from 7% to 3%. Walvis Bay accounted for 1% of shipments, compared to none last year.

Antoinette van Heerden, logistical affairs manager at the Fresh Produce Exporters Forum (FPEF), said the improvements at the Port of Cape Town played a big part in the season’s success.

“There was less waiting time and fewer vessels anchored outside the port,” she said. “We also had more shifts during holidays and recovery days after wind delays. The installation of two 500 kVa generators with 60 container plug points each, through a public-private partnership, helped too.”

Gross crane moves per hour (GCH), a key measure of port productivity, rose to 13 in the first 13 weeks of the year, up from 10 last year.

Still, weather caused some delays. February saw 245 hours lost to wind, well above the four-year average of 162 hours. In March, wind delays totalled 214 hours, again above the norm.

A digital logistics model also helped the industry respond faster this season. Based on a digital version of the harbour, the model simulated grape movement across various ports and helped guide decision-making.

“Possible next steps could include further leveraging the model to incorporate additional fruit types, which could provide more holistic supply chain insights,” said Mark Soden, project lead at transport and logistics company Transnova.

Meanwhile, Namibia exported 8.8 million cartons of grapes this season, slightly down from last year’s 9.1 million.

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