In the citrus industry, educated guesses aren’t good enough,” says Boitshoko Ntshabele, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA). From backyard groves to mega farms, growers are crunching data to stay sharp, avoid costly misfires, and keep South Africa’s citrus crown gleaming on global shelves.
The 2025 citrus export season is building up momentum. From regions across the country, citrus farmers are harvesting and packing their fruit. Refrigerated containers filled with lemons, oranges, grapefruit and mandarins are being trucked to the ports. There, they are shipped to over 100 global destinations that value South Africa’s high-quality citrus.
However, supporting all these bustling and highly visible activities is a much less visible tracking network of information, a complicated stream of data which now allows southern Africa’s citrus growers, service providers, and other stakeholders to make informed decisions.
Southern Africa’s over 1 650 citrus growers function within a fast-moving and complicated export trade environment. With global trade experiencing unprecedented instability, it has become even more important for growers to remain informed and have the facts at their fingertips.
The more granular your information, the better your decision-making. This has been a guiding principle for the SA citrus industry, which has grown exponentially over the past 25 years. However, growth figures aren’t just cold, hard data – they translate directly into jobs and the livelihoods that support many rural communities.
As a general rule of thumb, every 10 million cartons of citrus that South Africa exports creates close to 10 000 jobs. Not a mere calculation, but a life-changing reality in rural towns like Letsitele, Addo and Citrusdal.
The juice behind the numbers
One of the services provided by the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) is a live statistics dashboard that tracks the citrus export season in full detail and almost in real-time. The dashboard system offers an enlightening example of how farmers can stay updated and make informed decisions. It is hosted on the CGA’s website and provides an overview of how the citrus season unfolds day by day.
The sources for the information on the platform vary. Data is gathered by broader industry associations, government departments or institutions, international data groups, or by the CGA and its subsidiaries directly. SA’s citrus industry is one of the most meticulously monitored in the world.
Have you ever wondered how many trees there are on South Africa’s citrus farms? Well, the answer is 59 499 954. We know this thanks to the CGA’s tree census data. It is regularly updated and includes tree varieties, ages and hectares under cultivation by growing region. Information like this is invaluable for long-term planning.
More immediate figures are, of course, also included in the CGA’s live dashboard. Weekly packing by region and variety can be tracked. For instance, between 17 and 23 March this year, 139 905 cartons of grapefruit were packed for export in the Limpopo River area.
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Through tracking the “count group” (the number of fruit packed in a single box), users get an accurate reflection of the size distribution of the fruit for the season, down to the variety group level. Since different markets have different sizing preferences, this information assists in ensuring that all markets are serviced in a balanced manner.
A grower can also track the shipping of exports from specific ports, down to cartons shipped by vessel and destination. Stock levels can also be monitored. As an example, “depot stock by trade destination by dwell time” is just one way the data is ordered. All information is presented in an aggregated format to ensure absolute anonymity of individual grower or exporter positions.
Port pains and market gains
South African citrus farmers – from the smallest family operations to the largest commercial enterprises – are embracing the power of industry statistics with an urgency that reflects the stakes involved.
Thin margins, a complicated logistical chain and a route to market that takes anything from four to six weeks and longer for fruit to travel from the farm to its end-user, means that mistakes and inefficiency are costly and best avoided.
How long are the delays at problematic ports? What oversupplies threaten which market? What are the long-term trends? The dashboard provides many answers.
Without up-to-date export figures and analysis, South African farmers risk targeting the wrong markets or planting the wrong varieties.
Data without borders
The global citrus industry is also a competitive arena. Peru, Chile and Australia are some of the major Southern hemisphere players vying for market share, while Northern Hemisphere suppliers like Spain and Egypt, although counter-seasonal, impact both the opening and closing windows of our season due to stock overlap. Understanding their production and export volume data is crucial for farmers to maintain their edge.
Of course, the challenge lies in ensuring that this vital information is not only available but understandable to all farmers. Industry associations, government agencies, and research institutions have a crucial role to play in collecting, analysing, and disseminating relevant data in a timely and user-friendly manner.
The CGA also provides regular workshops, online meetings, newsletters, as well as direct notifications on its mobile application. All these methods are instrumental in empowering farmers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.
The future of South Africa’s citrus industry hinges on its ability to adapt and innovate. Embracing industry statistics is not an answer to every problem, but it is an indispensable tool for any farmer striving for long-term profitability.
By knowing the numbers, South African citrus farmers can continue moving beyond simply growing fruit and become savvy participants in a global marketplace, ensuring that the sweetness of their harvest continues to benefit the nation for generations to come.
- Boitshoko Ntshabele is the CEO of Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Food For Mzansi.
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