The Citrus Research International (CRI) hosted its annual Postharvest Technical Forum on 17 & 18 February at Mentorskraal in Jeffreys Bay. The forum brings together packhouse managers, growers, exporters, and logistics professionals to focus on critical post-harvest issues and the evolving needs of the industry.

The CRI is a key scientific body that conducts applied research and facilitates practical workshops to help citrus value-chain stakeholders adopt best practices and respond to industry challenges. The purpose of this forum, part of a series of post-harvest workshops, is to share research, data, trends and solutions that support improved fruit quality, efficient export logistics, and sustainable industry growth. The 2026 workshop series aims to provide practical insights on post-harvest handling, logistics systems, and production forecasts well ahead of the next export seasons.

Economic & Logistics Environment – A Favourable Outlook Despite Some Cost Pressures

One of the core presentations, by Samantha Dunlop, representing the Citrus Growers’ Association and Exporters Eastern Cape, at the forum provided an update on current economic and shipping trends affecting citrus exporters:

• Transport costs are trending more favourably due to a strengthening rand and declining global fuel prices. This is a positive signal for export freight rates, particularly for ocean freight which is heavily influenced by bunker fuel pricing.
• However, increasing electricity tariffs remain a concern, as electricity is a major cost driver in cold-storage operations. The approved tariff hikes for the next few years are expected to raise cold-chain costs, underscoring the need for efficiency gains across storage and handling operations.

These insights are critical for exporters planning their cost structures and logistics strategies for upcoming seasons.

Production Growth Forecasts Regional Capacity Planning

A highlight of the forum was the review of long-term crop projection models showing sustained citrus production growth through 2026 and beyond. Key takeaways:

• Industry models anticipate growth from just over 200 million cartons in 2025 to approximately 260 million cartons in the near term, with continued expansion toward 2030.
• While annual production may vary due to seasonal or climatic influences, the long-term trend suggests continued expansion in fruit volumes.

The data also emphasised differing regional profiles across the major export corridors:

• The Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and Northern regions are all projected to grow, with the Eastern Cape expected to add around 20 million cartons over the next few years.
• Seasonal peaks later in the year, driven by late navels and mandarins, will require careful coordination of cooling, haulage, and export capacity to manage the increased throughput.

Infrastructure Readiness & Logistics Challenges

Forum delegates heard updates on infrastructure readiness across the value chain, including:

• Cold storage capacity in the Eastern Cape is being strengthened with facility upgrades and new developments, ensuring capacity remains aligned with projected production.
• Port infrastructure improvements, including increased reefer plug capacity at major terminals, are being prioritised to avoid bottlenecks during peak export weeks.
• Transport demand, especially for trucking and inland haulage, is expected to grow significantly. With rail services still scaling up, road transport will remain a key component of fruit movement, requiring strategic planning and collaboration across operators.

The Road Ahead: Collaboration & Strategic Planning

Speakers at the forum emphasised the importance of cross-sector coordination. Industry growth presents opportunities, but also demands proactive infrastructure planning, logistics optimisation, and alignment between production forecasts and export capabilities.

The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa plays a vital role in equipping stakeholders with data-driven insights that support sound decision-making, from cold storage management to pricing strategies and corridor development.

Exporters and production partners are encouraged to engage with CRI’s resources and upcoming workshop series, as well as organisations like the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa, as the industry prepares for continued growth and evolving market conditions.

At the core of our organisation has always been a simple understanding: exports are a critical contributor – to the economy, yes, of course, but also to greater society. Businesses that export are able to contribute significantly to the country’s GDP, invest in the community, create meaningful employment opportunities, and ultimately demonstrate on a global scale that South Africa is worth investing in.

However, there is not often such a tangible case study of this importance, as we saw with recent media reports around Volkswagen Group Africa’s plant in Kariega. Following a media event hosted by the automotive manufacturer, we saw dramatic headlines about the plant potentially closing and almost 4 000 jobs being at stake. These claims have since been refuted by the company, but the widespread panic emanating from these reports is worth reflecting on.

Consider for a moment the impact of a company like VWGA closing: they have been building cars in South Africa for 75 years, employing around 3 500 people and carrying the indirect impact of 50 000 jobs throughout the supply chain. This is without accounting for the many CSI projects reliant on their ongoing support.

Why are we even talking about this “closure” if it is not happening? It highlights an issue being experienced across the automotive industry in South Africa: government incentives in their current form do not adequately reflect the importance and value of this industry in our overall economy. Our local manufacturers are competing in a market flooded by imports from foreign brands who are able to produce high volumes at significantly lower costs, and there is little preference or benefit given to the companies creating jobs for our people by producing cars here. In the last year, we’ve seen Goodyear close its Kariega facility and Nissan sell its South African plant; it is not news that the automotive industry is facing challenging times.

In the case of Volkswagen, these circumstances have directly impacted their business, in that MD Martina Biene was quoted as saying their German headquarters “need to see movement” in terms of government policies, as this is a factor in decision-making around future investments.

The industry leaders have many ideas for possible solutions – including incentives for local manufacturing and establishing localisation thresholds – but ultimately there is one obvious answer: government policy needs to change. Our exporters – automotive or otherwise – may serve overseas markets, but the people who benefit most are in this country. We need government policy to protect the interests of our manufacturers, and the communities who rely on them every day.

By Quintin Levey, Exporters Eastern Cape Chairman

Published in The Herald, February 2026

Renai Moothilal, CEO of NAACAM, discussed the state of South Africa’s automotive component sector and the implementation of SAAM35 with Gareth Burley on the Kingfisher FM Big Breakfast Show.