The South African apple industry is aimed largely at the export market, but also supplies South Africa and surrounding Southern African countries with quality fruit.
South Africa produces between 30 million and 35 million 12.5kg cartons of apples annually. Apples represent 30% of South Africa’s total deciduous fruit production and the total South African apple crop distribution is 44% to exports, 25% to domestic sales and 31% is processed.
The biggest market for South African apples is the rapidly growing African market (29%). This is followed by the Far East and Asia (27%), UK (22%) Middle East (6%), and Europe (9%). In the past Europe and the UK were traditionally the biggest market for South African apples but the growing demand in Africa and Asia has seen this shift in market destinations develop over the past two decades.