Improved Cape Town Port performance boosts SA table grape exports

SOUTH AFRICA – The South African table grape industry is celebrating an encouraging start to the 2024/25 export season, buoyed by significant improvements at the Cape Town Container Terminal.

The latest industry update reveals that exports rose by 39% by mid-January compared to the same time last year. Industry leaders credit enhanced port performance and strategic logistical planning for this growth.

“The performance at the Cape Town Container Terminal continues to show improvement compared with the previous season,” the report noted, citing reduced windbound hours as a key factor.

In the first two weeks of January, the terminal experienced an average of 23 windbound hours per week, a sharp drop from 56 hours in January 2024.

This season marks the first implementation of a predictive logistics model, developed by Transnova Africa under commission from the South African Table Grape Industry (Sati).

According to Mark Soden, project lead at Transnova, the model has been instrumental in optimizing port operations.

“Actual CTCT utilization has, thus far, exceeded the model’s planned volumes,” Soden explained.

Logistical affairs manager at the Fresh Produce Exporters Forum, Antoinette van Heerden, highlighted additional productivity gains from the terminal’s extended operational hours over Christmas and New Year.

“The additional 72 operational hours increased productivity significantly,” van Heerden said.

By mid-January, South Africa had exported 24.5 million 4.5 kg cartons of table grapes, with 81% destined for the EU and UK markets and 10% shipped to North America.

The gap between inspected and exported volumes, often an indicator of delays, was reduced to 7.8 million cartons compared to 16.36 million cartons in 2024.

While maintaining a strong presence in traditional markets like the UK and EU, the industry is keen to expand its global reach. Sati is focusing on regions such as Vietnam, which has been identified as a promising market due to its youthful population and growing interest in Western foods.

“Vietnam is getting a lot of focus,” said Sati CEO Mecia Petersen. “It’s been called the rising star in Southeast Asia.”

Efforts are also underway to strengthen ties with North America, where South Africa currently holds an 8% market share.

“There are windows in the US market between supply from Peru and Chile, and that’s where we fit in,” Petersen explained.

Sustainability continues to be a cornerstone of the industry’s strategy. Petersen emphasized the need to align with international trends, including the EU Green Deal, while enhancing South Africa’s reputation for premium-quality grapes.

“It’s important that we see ourselves as an industry rather than as individual entities. We’re in a good place in terms of that,” Petersen said.

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