South Africa: Potential Market for Agri-food Products from Africa

South Africa: A Potential Market for Agri-food Products from Africa aims to guide exporters in developing countries—mainly in Africa—on how to access the newly emerging agri-food market in South Africa. South Africa imported US$ 325 million worth of fruits, vegetables and spices in 2009. The market has room for new exporters in nearby countries of counter-season fresh produce like citrus, avocados, grapes, bananas and watermelons. It has also openings for dried beans, dehydrated vegetables and nuts, private-label canned vegetables and spice mixes, as well as chillies, turmeric, peppers and cumin. The paper highlights some of the critical issues to be considered when entering the South African market, issues that are especially relevant to African exporters. It also provides inputs that would be useful in designing an initial proactive marketing strategy and in preparing an exporter for his or her first sales visit to the market. This report is one of a series of sectoral and market studies in BRICS (Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China, South Africa) countries.

Keywords: tropical fruit, canned vegetables, spices, market access, import regulations, tariffs, non-tariff barriers, case studies, South Africa