South African growers report exceptional quality and strong global demand for the premium apple variety, with India and African markets showing particular enthusiasm for the brand
The 2025 Flash Gala harvest has delivered a new records, with 1.48mn cartons packed – the biggest volume since the brand’s commercial launch.
This represents a 41 per cent increase on the previous season’s output for Flash Gala, which is the brand of the BigBucks apple variety.
“This is the biggest Flash Gala crop we’ve ever seen,” said Calla du Toit, procurement manager at Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing and chair of the BigBucks Growers’ Association.
“The increase is due to orchards reaching maturity, exceptional harvests in key production areas, and the absence of adverse weather conditions.
”Fruit was exceptionally clean, and packouts were outstanding,” he noted.
“We saw a dramatic improvement in eating quality of Flash Gala this year, largely because the trees are maturing,” commented Angelique Pretorius, technical manager of Kromco, leading South African apple and pear packer.
Explaining the horticultural science behind the improvement, Pretorius said that when the trees were young, they were overly vigorous, especially when planted on strong rootstocks.
“This resulted in quality issues, which were not unique to BigBucks,” she explained. ”Now that canopies have settled and we’re shifting from vegetative to reproductive growth, it means better and more consistent fruit quality.”
The progress with Flash Gala is ascribed to strong global demand, led by India and Africa, and according to Calla du Toit the brand gives South Africa a competitive edge.
“It’s a premium Gala type that can compete with New Zealand Gala apples in both colour and eating quality,” he said, noting that market enthusiasm for the brand followed immediately after its introduction.
“In many cases, as soon as clients received their first containers, they placed repeat orders,” he said. “India, in particular, has shown strong brand loyalty.”
Shipments to China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and the Middle East also occurred this season.
“We also saw a great performance in Africa, especially in Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon,” noted DG Malherbe, export manager for Africa at Tru-Cape.
He said that while the consistent and attractive colour of the fruit appeal, African buyers appreciate Flash Gala’s improved shelf-life and taste.
“They know exactly what they’re getting because of the high and reliable packing specification,” he commented.
Louis du Toit, marketing manager at Dutoit Agri, agreed that packouts were strong, arrival quality in overseas markets was excellent, and feedback on the variety was highly positive.
“Our clients were impressed with the fruit, and it sold exceptionally well,” he confirmed.
”Overall, it was certainly an above-average season.
“That said, we must diversify our markets – there’s significant potential in the Middle East, Bangladesh, and the Far East,” Louis du Toit added.
”We also need to focus on improving storability to extend our sales window.”
