The South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) reports positive trends in the 2024/25 season, with exports significantly outpacing last year despite a slight decline in total inspected volumes. As of Week 02, 24.5 million cartons had been exported—39% more than the previous season—while 32.33 million cartons had been inspected, reflecting a 5% decrease compared to last year's 33.94 million cartons.
Industry performance & regional trends
The Northern Provinces Region is expected to fall 500,000 cartons short of its estimate due to rain in early January. The Orange River Region, which has packed 21.28 million cartons, is nearing the end of its season, with some areas set to finish by Week 03. Other regions, including the Olifants River, Berg River, and Hex River, are progressing as expected, with favorable weather conditions supporting good fruit quality.
Key export destinations remain the EU and the UK (81%), followed by North America (10%). The top-exported varieties in Week 02 were Sweet Globe, Sweet Celebration, and Tawny Seedless.
Logistics & port operations
The Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) has shown notable efficiency improvements, with average windbound hours dropping from 56 per week in January 2024 to 23 per week in 2025. Productivity, measured in gross crane moves per hour (GCH), improved from 12 last year to 15 this season. Additionally, extra operational hours over Christmas and New Year boosted throughput.
Recent shipments included major sailings such as ONE Resolution (3.08 million cartons), Santa Clara (2.94 million cartons), and Maersk Vallvik (708,000 cartons). Upcoming sailings for Week 03 include Mehuin (1.7 million cartons) and MSC Rosaria (1.45 million cartons).
Global market insights
Guest speaker Riaan Swart, Grape Champion for EMEA at Dole, provided an overview of international table grape trends. China, increasingly a net exporter, is shifting from a key South African market to a niche opportunity. Meanwhile, India's export season will peak from Week 10, competing with South African shipments to the EU.
In the U.S. market, demand is shifting towards white seedless varieties, now accounting for 75% of retail grape sales, with red seedless dropping to 25% and black seedless at 5%. South African grapes have an optimal sales window in the U.S. from January to mid-February, filling supply gaps from Chile and Peru.
Looking ahead
With ports functioning efficiently, exports progressing smoothly, and demand remaining strong, the 2024/25 season is shaping up well for South African table grapes. Industry stakeholders are encouraged to engage with SATI to explore predictive logistics models and optimize planning for the remainder of the season.
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For more information:
Jacques Ferreira
SATI
Tel: +27 (0) 21 863 0366
Email: jacques@satgi.co.za
www.satgi.co.za