South Africa is self-sufficient and only imports small quantities of deciduous fruits to fulfill niche markets or to satisfy demand during the off-season when supply is limited. Due to phytosanitary restrictions, the United States only has limited market access to export apples from areas that are free of Rhagoletis pomonella (apple maggot). Negotiations are on-going to expand this market access to include areas regulated for apple maggot in the United States.
The United Kingdom is the largest single country market for South African apple exports accounting for 16 percent of the total exports in 2020, followed by Russia (8 percent), Nigeria (8 percent), Bangladesh (7 percent), Malaysia (6 percent), Senegal (4 percent), United Arab Emirates (4 percent) and Netherlands (4 percent). Africa is the largest regional market accounting for 40 percent of the total South African apple exports in the 2020, followed by the European Union (EU) at 23 percent, and Asia at 22 percent. This is expected to continue in the 2020/21 MY and 2021/22 MY. South Africa has free trade agreements with both the EU and the United Kingdom, and benefits from duty free exports in these markets. Exports to Africa are largely driven by strong demand (especially for pink lady, gala, and golden delicious varieties), limited competition in these markets, and that apples can endure suboptimal handling conditions. Poor cold chain facilities and supply chain infrastructure remains a notable challenge in many African countries.
