Shanghai: South Africa and China have signed a historic stone fruit trade protocol, opening the Chinese market to five types of South African stone fruit – apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, and prunes. The agreement was signed in Shanghai by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and Minister Sun Meijun of China’s General Administration of Customs on Wednesday.
According to South African Government News Agency, this marks the first time China has granted market access for multiple stone fruit varieties from a single country under one deal. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Steenhuisen described the agreement as ‘a major breakthrough for South African fruit producers and exporters at a time when diversification is essential for our agricultural resilience.’ He emphasized that the protocol is part of a broader strategy to reduce South Africa’s dependence on traditional export markets and respond to new consumption patterns driven by China’s growing middle class.
The Chinese market could potentially unlock approximately R400 million over the next five years, with projections to double within a decade. Minister Steenhuisen expressed optimism that the inaugural 2025/26 export season could generate approximately R28 million, increasing to R54 million in 2026/27. China’s demand for peach and plum imports continues to grow, with imports last year exceeding 21 million cartons of peaches and nectarines and 20 million cartons of plums, surpassing South Africa’s entire seasonal export volume. Projections indicate that exports to China are set to grow to 5% of South Africa’s total export volumes by 2032/2033.
Steenhuisen highlighted the potential for job creation, stating that the opening of the Chinese market would enable local producers to export more of their harvests at sustainable prices. This improved demand and increased volumes could encourage further investment at the farm level, particularly the establishment of new orchards. Over the next decade, this protocol could create a market supporting roughly 350 new direct jobs on farms and in packhouses, and close to 600 new jobs overall once linked industries such as transport and packaging are included.
During discussions with Minister Meijun, Steenhuisen also addressed the resumption of beef exports from certain South African regions and reviewed progress on foot-and-mouth disease regionalisation. He invited a GACC technical team to visit South Africa to inspect the country’s cherry and blueberry orchards and packhouses during the current harvest season. If inspections proceed smoothly, South Africa will likely secure cherry market access to China within the next harvest cycle, strengthening trade ties and unlocking new export and job opportunities for the fruit sector.
Minister Steenhuisen also underscored the impact of Chinese infrastructure investment in upgrading South Africa’s railways, ports, and highways, which improves market access for farmers and boosts logistics efficiency. This work aligns with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, prioritizing infrastructure investment across Africa. He encouraged trading partners to leverage the Shanghai Freight Services network for faster and more reliable delivery of South African agricultural exports to China.
China has been South Africa’s largest trading partner for more than a decade, and the bilateral trade relationship continues to deepen. The Minister expressed appreciation for China’s ongoing cooperation and the shared commitment to exploring opportunities within the agriculture sector, looking forward to building on this partnership through future agreements that benefit both countries.