South Africa is considered one of the top global exporters of table grapes, ranking among the top five exporters worldwide
The Republic of South Africa has gained access to the Philippine market for the export of fresh table grapes, says Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen as one of the major drivers of economic growth in South Africa (SA). The market was opened on 26 February 2025, which means that producers can begin exporting table grapes to the Philippines. Negotiations for this market started on 20 January 2015 and took about 10 years.
South Africa is considered one of the top global exporters of table grapes, ranking among the top five exporters worldwide. The table grape industry plays a major role in the SA economy by generating substantial foreign exchange earnings, creating employment opportunities, and contributing significantly to the growth of the agricultural sector.
According to the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI), SA exports about 55% of table grapes to the European Union (EU) and 20% to the United Kingdom (UK). Table grapes were exported in 63 million cartons in 2022/23, and about 86,870 seasonal workers and 14,843 permanent workers were employed in the industry. By opening this new market, the department will be able to advance its empowerment plan with respect to the participation of Black farmers in export markets.
“Expanding agricultural markets can lead to increased production and exports, boosting the sector’s contribution to our country’s Gross Domestic Product,” says Minister Steenhuisen. According to Statistics South Africa, our economy grew by 0.6% in the fourth quarter of 2024, with livestock, some field crops, and fruits among the sectors that primarily contributed to this growth.
Fresh table grapes imported from South Africa to the Philippines must satisfy all phytosanitary and food safety requirements as outlined in the final phytosanitary import conditions for fresh table grapes imported from South Africa to the Philippines. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) allocates production unit codes (PUC) and packhouse codes (PHCs) to exporters, production units, and packhouses interested in this lucrative market. To ensure that the Philippines’ quarantine pests of fresh table grapes are eliminated during the production period, farmers of registered production units must implement good agricultural practices (GAPs), including orchard sanitation, integrated pest management (IPM), or adequate control measures.
The farmers of fresh table grapes exported from South Africa to the Philippines should comply with phytosanitary import requirements in order to safeguard their market, since it took ten years to negotiate and gain access to the market.
