South African Cherries Gain Access to Lucrative Chinese Market

Landmark protocol opens new export opportunities for farmers and could create about 600 jobs

South African cherry farmers have gained access to one of the world’s biggest cherry markets after the governments of South Africa and China signed a landmark protocol allowing locally produced cherries to be exported to China for the first time.

The agreement was signed on September 8, 2026, in Beijing during the ninth Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Ministerial Meeting. South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, Wille Aucamp, signed the protocol with Sun Meijun of China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC). The agreement is being welcomed as an important development for South Africa’s agricultural sector, particularly at a time when farmers and exporters are looking for new international markets.

China is currently the world’s largest importer of cherries. In 2025, the country imported approximately 586,900 tonnes of cherries with a value of about US$3.3 billion, equivalent to roughly R52.8 billion. For South African producers, gaining access to such a large consumer market could create opportunities to expand production, attract investment and increase export earnings.

The Department of Agriculture expects the new market access to stimulate investment in the local cherry industry and potentially create around 600 new jobs. The benefits could extend beyond farmers to workers involved in orchards, harvesting, packing, transport, logistics and other parts of the agricultural value chain.

The protocol also comes against the backdrop of improved trade relations between South Africa and China. The two countries have been working to broaden agricultural trade, including through arrangements that provide qualifying South African agricultural products with zero-tariff access to the Chinese market. This can improve the competitiveness of South African produce by reducing the cost burden associated with import duties.

Aucamp described the agreement as a record-breaking achievement, pointing out that it is the first time South Africa and China have signed two agricultural market-access protocols within a single year. He thanked China for helping to speed up South Africa’s requests for greater access for agricultural products.

The minister also stressed that the cherry agreement is part of a wider effort to deepen agricultural cooperation between the two countries. During his visit to China, Aucamp met with China’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhang Zhu. Their discussions included cooperation on biosecurity, including foot-and-mouth disease, as well as further opportunities for South African agricultural products to enter the Chinese market.

The agreement is also significant for South Africa’s strategy of diversifying its agricultural export destinations. By gaining access to new markets, producers can reduce their dependence on traditional export markets and potentially build stronger and more sustainable international trading relationships. South Africa’s cherry industry is relatively small compared with some of the country’s other fruit sectors, but the opening of China provides an opportunity for growers to expand production if demand develops as expected.

The timing could also be advantageous for South African exporters. Industry representatives have noted that South Africa’s cherry season could allow local growers to supply Chinese consumers at a period when competing supplies from some major producing countries are not yet reaching the market in significant volumes.

The development is not limited to cherries. Negotiations to give South African blueberries access to the Chinese market are already at an advanced stage. China has submitted a draft protocol for consideration, with South Africa aiming to finalise the process before the end of 2026. For South African farmers, the opening of China therefore represents more than a new destination for cherries. It is part of a broader push to increase agricultural exports, create jobs and strengthen trade ties between South Africa and China.

For Chinese consumers, it means another source of fresh fruit will soon be available, while South African producers now have an opportunity to introduce their cherries to a vast and growing market. The signing of the protocol marks another step in the expanding agricultural relationship between the two countries and could lay the foundation for even greater cooperation in the years ahead.