Celebrating its 25^th consecutive year shipping citrus from South Africa to the U.S., the marketing association Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) recognized a key trade partner and the growth of its exports in a July 20 press release. 

SCSA, which is based in scenic Cape Town, at Africa’s southern tip, its citrus exports to the U.S. have grown 250% in the past few years, sustaining a volume of around 100,000 pallets. Sustained growth is planned for the next three to five years.

In the release, Suhanra Conradie, SCSA CEO, particularly saluted the Holt family and the staff of Holt Logistics, operator of Gloucester Terminals, LLC, for their role in export volume growth. 

Conradie notes: “From the very beginning to now, long-term relationships have formed the backbone of this business and have contributed to the sustained growth and longevity of the program.” The Holt family and their staff “have formed an enormous part of this sustained growth and have been a partner for us to count on. It has not been easy, but the challenges have made us stronger and allowed us not only to build demand in the U.S. but also allowed us to utilize our opportunities collectively and expand our footprint in the U.S. market even further.”

Leo Holt, president, and CEO of Holt Logistics, which is based in Gloucester City, NJ, responds, “A quarter century is a remarkable milestone in any commodities-based business, and we are extremely proud to partner with our longtime friends in South Africa. Building a diverse supply chain ensures food security and access to nutritious fresh food products here in our local markets and beyond. We are thankful to all of our partners who prioritize the safe and efficient movement of cargo through our ports.”

Gloucester City is directly across the Delaware River from the Philadelphia seaport, where Holt also manages vast operations. 

“We would like to show our appreciation to the Holt family and their teams,” says Conradie. “Thank you for taking on this journey with us and your continued support. Look where we are today, 25 seasons and still growing and going strong! We wish everyone a successful and prosperous season. We have gained a lot of momentum with our collaborative approach and intend to keep it going.”

In 1999 Summer Citrus from South Africa entered the U.S. market for the first time with just a few pallets of citrus during a time when the imported citrus category was not yet established, the release notes. Over the years, the category was slowly built, with the product being distributed to a select group of importers. Since then, this small but mighty group became a force to be reckoned with, establishing South Africa as the preferred supplier of citrus to the U.S. consumer during the summer months. 

In the early years, it was the dedicated conventional vessels that were being shipped to the port of Philadelphia. Through sustained growth, SCSA was given the opportunity to engage with the shipping giants of the world where SCSA now splits their volumes 50/50 between conventional vessels and containers, and SCSA ships to both sides of the Delaware River.

SCSA represents a group of South African citrus growers who consolidate their logistics, marketing, and sales efforts to bring the finest citrus fruit to market during the U.S. summer season. Established in 1999 and re-branded for expanded marketing efforts in 2016, the group provides Navels, Midknights, East Peelers, Star Ruby Grapefruit and Cara-Cara oranges for the U.S. market. For more information about Summer Citrus from South Africa, visit www.summercitrus.com and visit the brand’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.