Growers, marketers, policymakers and economists gathered at the 2025 Subtrop Marketing Symposium in White River, Mpumalanga on 5 November to explore developments in trade policy, consumer trends, digital data strategies, and scientific innovation. The event highlighted the need for diversification, stronger market intelligence, and closer collaboration across South Africa’s subtropical fruit value chains.
Source: The South African Subtropical Growers'? Association | LinkedIn
In his virtual keynote, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen urged subtropical fruit exporters to expand beyond traditional European markets into Asia and the Middle East, citing rising demand in India, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
He highlighted progress made since 2024, including the first avocado shipments to China, access to Japan for Hass avocados, and a stone fruit trade protocol with China as evidence of South Africa’s growing global reach.
Steenhuisen warned that “biosecurity is the new currency of trade” and praised the establishment of the National Biosecurity Hub at the University of Pretoria for coordinating efforts to protect South African agriculture from pests and diseases and ensure phytosanitary compliance for export markets.
He also announced the rollout of a digital registration system for farm inputs to speed up pesticide approvals under the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act, 1947 (Act 36 of 1947).
The Minister commended the Agricultural Research Council’s Nelspruit campus for releasing new mango, passion fruit and citrus cultivars and launching a post-harvest and agri-processing hub to strengthen export competitiveness.
Economic outlook, marketing and science insights
Emile du Plessis, senior economist at Standard Bank, cautioned that South Africa’s macro-economy remains uncertain, with ongoing tariff pressures, currency volatility, and energy constraints. Nonetheless, agricultural exports are holding strong, with five consecutive months without load shedding and a 6% year-to-date rise in overall exports. He advised agribusinesses to hedge against currency risk and make use of lower fuel costs to protect margins.
Shelley Vorster of the World Avocado Organisation (WAO) reported that European avocado consumption surpassed 1.1 million tons in 2025, with South Africa ranking fifth among suppliers. She noted that despite high retail prices, per-capita intake still leaves room for growth, particularly in Eastern Europe.
Marketing campaigns across Spain, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and India emphasised health benefits, and plans are underway to expand into China in 2026.
Glynnis Branthwaite of Protactic Strategic Communications highlighted growth in South Africa’s domestic avocado market, now consuming about 60% of national output. She stressed that marketers must convert data into actionable insight and adapt strategies to evolving consumer behaviour, emphasising value, versatility, and health.
Moloko Leshaba from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition outlined global shifts—from post-Covid protectionism to carbon border taxes—that affect developing-country exports.
He reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to an export-led industrialisation strategy and the need to reduce reliance on single-market destinations like the EU and US, highlighting the African Continental Free Trade Area and ASEAN region as key growth corridors.
Data, research and innovation for competitiveness
Jolanda Andrag of Agri SA and Basson Engelbrecht of Reisiger Engineering presented a project integrating public and private datasets across five pillars: the agricultural economy, trade, land and development, labour, and natural resources.
Using big-data analytics, the initiative supports evidence-based policymaking and operational decision-making, from mapping land-use potential to assessing water infrastructure for future dams.
Dr Cynthia Motsi of the Agricultural Research Council invited growers to participate in field trials of new tropical and subtropical fruit cultivars under varied climatic conditions, aiming to accelerate the commercialisation of climate-resilient, pest-resistant, and high-yielding varieties.
Closing the symposium, Marius Boshoff of Villa Crop Protection noted that new pesticide registrations can take five to seven years under Act 36, though advances in AI-driven molecule design and biological alternatives provide promising avenues. He called for faster regulatory execution to maintain competitiveness while acknowledging the potential for modernised oversight.
Across discussions on crop protection, market access, scientific research, and data-led marketing, one clear message emerged: collaboration is essential to keep South Africa’s subtropical fruit sector competitive and ensure avocados, mangoes, and litchis thrive in global markets.
