The demand for citrus to countries on the African continent has increased over the past eight years. Soft citrus and oranges make up most of the demand, with oranges being especially popular due to the longer season and good shelf life on Valencia varieties. "With higher demand, competition also increased, not only for South African produce, but from other producing countries," says Rohan Meyer, Commercial Manager – Africa, for Kallos Global.
The exporting company is based in Cape Town, South Africa, who see themselves as the leaders of fruit exports to the African continent since 1943; a A legacy of 81 years and counting.
"Many might view the African continent as one market, or one region, but the intricacies are real. Each country has its own demands, dynamics and challenges. We ship to over thirty countries on the African continent, trading in different fruit varieties, packing specifications, fruit sizing, quality grades and currencies, this makes each country unique with opportunity, but also various challenges and risks", states Meyer.
The major citrus producing countries in Africa, namely South Africa, Egypt and Morocco have made good inroads in the continent, while also providing fierce competition for each other. "Morocco is a strong competitor, especially in West Africa. In East Africa, Egypt is strong with a long season and very competitive pricing - they also form part of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), thus free of import duties. Zimbabwe's citrus industry has become an important role player over the past few years, especially in East Africa, where the import duty has been lifted. We now procure out of Zimbabwe to compete in that market," explains Meyer.
"While payments and the availability of forex remains a big challenge in Africa, our export-volume driver is apples. We supply apples twelve months of the year. By doing well on apples, we have, over the years, increased our offering to our customers that, today, includes most fresh fruit commodities, including citrus. Kallos Global has also invested strongly in our African footprint, with partnerships, joint ventures and building of cold storage facilities, to give our receivers a competitive edge, in-market."
Meyer concludes by saying: "The appetite for citrus varieties has increased in Africa, and we are adding immense value back to the farmer. That is positive, exciting and worth growing."
For more information:
Rohan Meyer
Kallos Global
Tel: +27 (0) 21 912 1500
[email protected] / [email protected]
www.kallos.co.za