Between 2003 and 2023, African countries’ earnings from fruit exports increased fivefold, from $2.04 billion to $10.03 billion, according to a report jointly published by FAO and the OECD on July 15, 2025. This performance also reflects an average annual growth of 8.28% in the revenue generated by the continent from its fruit shipments over two decades. Entitled “OECD/FAO Agricultural Outlook 20252034“, the report states that fruit exports in Africa are mainly citrus fruits and table grapes, due to their higher unit value on foreign markets. With $4.35 billion in revenue in 2023, South Africa remains the continent’s largest fruit exporter, accounting for nearly 44% of the continent’s export earnings that year. The South African industry has quadrupled its revenues since 2003, mainly thanks to the citrus sector which produces and markets oranges, mandarins, lemons and grapefruits. With its performance in 2023, the South African industry achieved almost double the fruit export revenues of Egypt ($2.46 billion), which is in second place among African fruit exporters, ahead of Morocco, which finished on the third step of the podium with $1.65 billion in revenues. In total, these three countries will have earned $8.45 billion, or 82% of African fruit shipments by value in 2023. Added to this top three are Tunisia ($296 million) and Côte d’Ivoire ($258 million). According to FAO/OECD projections, South Africa is expected to continue to benefit from growing demand in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as in Far Eastern markets in the coming years. At the same time, Morocco and Egypt, leaders in North Africa, could capitalise on their geographical location to “satisfy the demand for imports from European markets, which is on the rise”.
Source: Ecofin Agency
