The South African apple and pear season is now underway. Pears, predominantly grown in the Western Cape, are in season from February through August, with most of the production designated for exports. Apple season begins slightly earlier, starting in January and lasting through May, with peak volumes in June.

In January 2025, Hortgro projected that the country would export 1.1 million cartons of pears this season, a 4% increase from 2024. Apple exports are anticipated to reach 51.3 million cartons, a 5% rise from the previous marketing year.

The growth in pear exports and production is largely attributed to favorable climate conditions, such as cooler nights. For apples, the expansion is fueled by increased production in recently established orchards, improved weather, and the adoption of high-yielding varieties, according to Hortgro.

Freshfruitportal.com spoke with Jacques du Preez, Hortgro's Trade and Markets General Manager, about the current state of South Africa's apple and pear season. 

"The 2025 pear and apple harvest and exports started slowly, but we're in full swing now," Du Preez said.

The pear season began 7 to 14 days later than expected; however, in 2024, it started earlier than usual. This year, the season appears to be returning to its regular schedule. As anticipated, growing conditions have been favorable. "Fruit color is expected to be good, and the fruit is clean and ready, so we expect that packing will also go well," Du Preez added.

The apple harvest also got off to a slow start, but the industry is now building toward the first peaks.

"We expect apples passed for export to increase to 51.34 million cartons (+6%) and pears to 21.25 million (+5%). This anticipation might be on the conservative side, as growing conditions have been great so far," he said.

Du Preez noted that European Union apple stocks in January were down 5%, while pear stocks were up 4% compared to last year, "which will likely offer some opportunities for South African pome fruit exporters."

Export markets

So far, over 842,000 apples have been shipped, with 83% of exports going to Africa and the rest mainly to Asia and the Middle East. For pears, 2.68 million have been shipped, with 32% sent to the Middle East, 28% to the European Union, 16% to Russia, 10% to the Far East and Asia, 5% to the United States and Canada, 4% to the United Kingdom, and 3% to Africa.

Du Preez expressed optimism for both markets in the future.

"South Africa has now firmly established itself as the largest Southern Hemisphere apple producer and the only country on a positive trajectory," he said. "As for pears, SA is the second largest producer and is trending upwards, whereas the other Southern Hemisphere producers are moving sideways or are in decline."

"We anticipate South Africa will keep this positive trajectory; soon, it may also become the largest pear-producing country in the Southern Hemisphere," he added. "Although we face multiple challenges in SA, we are not alone. Many Northern and Southern Hemisphere countries face challenges – geopolitics, profitability, the pressure on agrochemicals, etc. Considering the trends (from production, cultivars to logistics to new markets and increased demand from existing ones), the future looks bright for the SA apple & pear industry."