Industry body Sati said the season demonstrated the country’s ability to adapt and remain competitive under pressure
South African table grape growers had a tough season in 2026, a campaign that also reflected some of the problems that stonefruit producers suffered.
However, the industry again performed well, slightly exceeding last year’s export figures and showing resilience under challenging conditions.
Although the country’s grape growers finally offered some 81.25mn cartons, only 78.3mn cartons were exported.
This export figure was marginally higher than the previous season, and remained within the upper limit of the initial crop estimate, according to industry body Sati.
“The South African table grape industry has concluded the 2025/26 season with a steady performance despite a challenging operating environment, reflecting continued stability across production and export activities,” Sati stated.
Mecia Petersen, chief executive of Sati, said the season demonstrated the industry’s ability to adapt and remain competitive under pressure.
“While it is worth noting that we achieved steady export volumes, the 2025/26 table grape season was highly challenging, with growers facing significant commercial pressure amid weather-related disruptions and logistics delays,” she explained.
Final figures for the season showed that 81.25mn cartons were inspected for export, representing a 3 per cent increase year-on-year, while total exports reached 78.3mn cartons, marginally up from the previous season.
Petersen pointed out that nationally, total table grape plantings decreased marginally by 0.4 per cent to 19,404ha, continuing a decade-long trend towards stabilisation.
“Despite the slight decline in planted area, the industry recorded its largest harvest to date,” she continued.
”Improved yields from newer, higher-yielding cultivars contributed to this outcome.”
As is often the case, logistics issues remained, particularly when it came to port operations.
“The logistics challenges experienced this season remain a key concern,” Petersen confirmed.
“We acknowledge that work is underway across the Transnet Port Terminals network, and these issues must be addressed to ensure consistent and improved performance in future seasons.”
The proportion of total export volumes shipped through the Port of Cape Town declined from 91 per cent in the previous season to 76 per cent.
“Meanwhile, volumes shipped through Eastern Cape ports increased from 6 per cent of total exports in 2024/25 to 21 per cent this year,” Petersen added.
”This enabled continued market supply, but it came at a high additional cost to both exporters and producers.”
