SA’s surging citrus sector is eager to expand its horizons beyond the economic transformation of black citrus growers programme launched in 2021. “It is worth investing in the establishment of emerging growers who offer a convincing model for profitability in the future,” said Boitshoko Ntshabele, CEO of the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa (CGA). SA is the second-largest citrus exporter in the world.
The Eastern Cape is the second-largest producer in SA with about25% of its orchards, ranking behind Limpopo (roughly 40%) and ahead of the Western Cape (20%). The Sundays River Valley region, particularly, is a major producer of lemons, soft citrus, and navel oranges. The GDC already has a partnership with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation to implement agro-processing and route-to-market support initiatives, with the value of the funds received reaching R4.5m.
Now the association wants to diversify its funding sources as it works to transform the citrus sector and provide support to black growers, Ntshabele said. “A more diversified system of funding hedges against volatility. “Levy income fluctuates with export volumes — if a season is hit by drought or logistics breakdown, levy income drops exactly when emerging growers might need the most financial support.
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“We are in the process of increasing funding partnerships, with new projects in development.” Ntshabele said exports by black growers hit 6-million 15kg cartons in 2023 and 6.1-million in 2024. Of the total 203.4-million cartons exported from SA in 2025, projections were that more than 8-million were grown by black producers, he said.
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