The Growers Development Co (GDC) wants to diversify its funding sources as it works to transform the citrus sector and provide support to black growers, says Boitshoko Ntshabele, CEO of the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa (CGA).
Ntshabele told Business Times that the GDC was eager to expand its funding sources beyond the economic transformation of black citrus growers programme that the association launched in 2021.
“South Africa is the second-largest citrus exporter in the world. Many markets have developed a taste for our high-quality citrus. It is worth investing in the establishment of emerging growers who offer a convincing model for profitability in the future,” Ntshabele said.
“A more diversified system of funding also hedges against volatility. Levy income fluctuates with export volumes — if a season is hit by drought or logistics breakdown, levy income drops exactly when emerging growers might need the most financial support.
“We are in the process of increasing funding partnerships, with new projects in development.”
We are in the process of increasing funding partnerships, with new projects in development.
— Boitshoko Ntshabele
Ntshabele said exports by black growers hit 6-million 15kg cartons in 2023 and 6.1-million in 2024. Of the total 203.4-million cartons exported from South Africa in 2025, projections were that more than 8-million were grown by black producers, he said.
“These figures do not include joint ventures and partnerships, and of course exclude fruit sold to the local market and local juicing facilities… By centralising support for black citrus growers, the GDC ensures that inclusive development is an active reality that drives the entire industry’s growth.”
Over the past three to five years, the GDC had helped to establish black growers as commercial role players, Ntshabele said, and there are now more than 120.
“In the past financial year, GDC, through its grant vehicle the enterprise development fund, supported 69 farms and invested a total of R37.6m across six provinces in growers. This includes investments in establishment costs, production inputs, citrus trees, equipment, vehicles, electricity, fuel, infrastructure, integrated pest management, water systems, irrigation materials and packing.”
He said the GDC had a budget of about R50m. This met operational needs and included enterprise development funding, ”which is used to support black enterprises directly”.
The GDC had entered a partnership with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation to implement agro-processing and route-to-market support initiatives, with the value of the funds received reaching R4.5m.
“The 30% US tariffs only came into effect in August 2025, towards the end of South Africa’s 2025 season, [and] therefore had a limited impact, especially because growers were able to increase and fast-track shipments to the US before the tariff deadline. Also, oranges received a tariff exemption from the White House in November.”
EU hurdles
Ntshabele said duties currently imposed by other countries on South Africa citrus have had a much more direct effect on emerging growers.
Those imposed by the EU had had “a significant impact, especially on not-yet-established growers. The measures can lead to a grower not being able to export to the EU in the next season. In total, almost R4bn is spent by local growers to comply with unnecessary and unscientific phytosanitary measures on citrus black spot and false coddling moth. The effect is that the bar to entry for the EU market is high.”
Ntshabele said citrus volumes were at record highs but this did not automatically translate into profitability for growers, who faced high input costs, volatile market dynamics, failing local infrastructure and an uncertain logistics landscape.
In a recent reply to MPs, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen said he had approved statutory measures, including levies that the CGA had sought to help it fund development. “The citrus industry dedicates at least 20% of the levy income to transformation.”
“The approach taken by the department is to diversify markets by entering into agreements with various countries, which will allow exporters, including black farmers, to export their produce without being limited by the requirements of a few markets,” Steenhuisen said.
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