South Africa’s citrus export season has reached its halfway mark, with Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) recording an 18% increase in volumes at the end of June, when compared to last year.
“The superior quality of the fruit coming from South Africa has translated into higher volumes, with the European Union coming in as the biggest consumer, followed by the Middle East”, according to TPT General Manager for Commercial and Planning, Michelle van Buren Schele. In addition to a healthy fruit production this year, an increased volume of citrus fruits is also coming via rail.
For example, the Durban Container Terminals have received 980 refrigerated containers via rail since the beginning of the season in April. “While we are only in the first half of the season, this is roughly 16% higher than the entire 2024 season of 846 railed containers” she said. The Citrus Growers Association has confirmed the national volume forecast of 106,500 refrigerated containers, and TPT was on track to achieve it.
The terminal operator is making good progress on plans to increase productivity, having been without vessel backlogs and delays across port terminals nationwide over time now. New equipment has been commissioned and deployed in operations across the Durban and Gqeberha container terminals. The new equipment includes a ship-to-shore crane at the Port Elizabeth Container Terminal, rubber-tyred gantry cranes, straddle carriers, haulers, forklifts, trailers, reach stackers at the Durban Container Terminal, as well as haulers and trailers in Cape Town container terminals and haulers in Richards Bay. In the 2024/2025 financial year, TPT invested R3,4 billion in new equipment and infrastructure, representing an increase of 145% from the previous year.
“We are focused on growing our business and meeting customer expectations. Integrated planning is becoming a way of work with strong collaboration between ourselves and industry, across all the sectors in containers, automotive, bulk and break bulk,” van Buuren Schele said.
South Africa is the second largest producer of citrus fruits in the world, after Spain, and exports to over 100 markets through container terminals managed by TPT in Durban, Gqeberha and Cape Town.
