GUEST - Thabile Nkunjana, Senior Agricultural Economist at the National Agricultural Marketing Council

South Africa’s fruit basket is expanding eastward. In a landmark trade breakthrough, China has opened its market to five South African stone fruits apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums and prunes under a single export protocol. The deal could inject up to R800 million into the economy over the next decade, create close to 1,000 jobs, and help diversify South Africa’s agricultural exports away from traditional markets like the US and EU.

With China’s growing middle class driving global demand for premium produce, this agreement signals a strategic shift one that could reshape local farming, logistics, and rural employment. Kaya FM