South African cherry growers are set to enter one of the world's most lucrative fresh-produce markets after a trade protocol with China was signed on 8 September 2026 in Beijing by South Africa's minister of agriculture, Willie Aucamp, and Sun Meijun of the General Administration of Chinese Customs, during the ninth Sanitary and Phytosanitary Ministerial Meeting. The agreement gives South African cherry producers direct access to the Chinese market for the first time.

China imported roughly 586,900 tonnes of cherries in 2025, valued at US$3.3 billion (about R60 billion), making it the world's largest cherry importer. The South African department of agriculture expects the new access to boost domestic investment in cherry production and create approximately 600 jobs.

'We welcome this development wholeheartedly because it creates another market opportunity for South African cherries,' said Roelf Pienaar, managing director of Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, noting that the South African season allows fruit to be supplied early, before Chilean volumes reach the market in quantity. About 80% of Tru-Cape's cherries are currently sold at home and 20% exported, mainly to the Middle East.

Chinese consumers strongly prefer larger fruit — 28 mm and above draws significant interest — said Tru-Cape sales director Johan Brink, but the company argues South Africa's eating quality is a distinct edge. 'South African fresh produce is already associated with quality among Chinese buyers,' said Lawrence Killian, Tru-Cape's marketing manager for the Far East. South African cherries are expected to reach China from around week 44, whereas Chile's large volumes typically start around week 49; early-season premiums soften quickly once Chilean shipments land.

Tru-Cape is already engaging Chinese customers and plans airfreight for initial consignments — 'shipping introduces a greater risk that we could miss that early market opportunity,' Brink said — while it looks for the balance of size, timing, quality and price that would establish a permanent footprint in East Asia. 'Size is a challenge, but it is not the whole story,' Pienaar said.

Source: Food for Mzansi