South Africa is experiencing a commercial turning point. The United Kingdom is consolidating its value anchor in retail programs, where destination consistency, delivery consistency, and brand building define price and customer loyalty. The Netherlands maintains its role as a logistics and re-export hub to Europe, key to organizing flows, shortening transit times, and providing predictability to programs.

South African blueberry export share pie by country, 2024/25.

The "second bloc" of buyers is gaining depth and reducing dependence on a single destination. The United Arab Emirates is accelerating strongly between 2020/21 and 2024/25 (from 562 to 1.873 t), consolidating its position as a premium niche and in better-priced windows. Germany is growing from low bases to 1.838 t in 2023/24—with an adjustment to 1.568 t in 2024/25—while Hong Kong and Singapore are strengthening their role as logistics hubs in Asia, providing schedule and route flexibility.

This realignment is not a one-off: it reflects a combined strategy of high-standard markets (the United Kingdom), operational efficiency (the Netherlands), and geographic diversification (the Gulf and Southeast Asia). The result is a more balanced portfolio of destinations, with a better ability to capture price windows and distribute risk throughout the season.

Evolution by partner (2015/16–2024/25): UK takes the lead; Netherlands remains a hub; UAE accelerates.

Table showing South African blueberry export volumes by trading partner and year.

Production and quality: the basis of positioning

The export surge is sustained by a combination of scale and quality. Between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 seasons, exports grew 44% (from 18.285 to 26.301 tons). Although a slight decrease of 0,68% was recorded between 2023/24 and 2024/25 (from 26.482 to 26.301 tons), the indicators at the destination remain solid: rejection rates remain low and support the reputation of South African origin.

The increased volume isn't due to more hectares, but rather to a leap in productivity: orchard maturation, varietal replacement toward higher-yielding and higher-shelf-life materials, and improved management practices such as temperature control, segregation by attributes, and extended post-harvest shelf life. This discipline in the field and post-harvest reduces "invisible" losses and improves the consistency of the fruit at its destination.

In a European environment of strict regulations, traceability and residue control serve as true licenses to compete. The industry invests in post-harvest and data management to anticipate logistical risks and ensure, upon receipt, key attributes such as firmness, sugar content, and homogeneity.

Bars with the total exports of South African blueberries for the 2020/21–2024/25 campaign.

Varietal transformation and production map

Following the disruption of 2021–2022—marked by Peruvian oversupply and logistical bottlenecks—2025 marks the beginning of a new investment cycle. For 2025–2026, varietal replacements with materials from the United States, Australia, and Spain are planned, aimed at achieving higher yields, higher calibers, and improved post-harvest life. This shift is accompanied by more open commercial models and greater export self-management on the part of producers.

Supply is structured around two hubs. The Western Cape accounts for nearly 60% of the industry, with mature farms and diverse microclimates; the Northern Region contributes approximately 40% and includes Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal, with young plantations on the rise. This production architecture supports a competitive, staggered schedule capable of adjusting supply and demand throughout the season.

The calendar supports the commercial strategy. Counter-seasonal genetics allow the domestic market to be supplied from January; the Northern Region begins harvesting in June and reaches its peak in August; and the Western Cape operates with a lag of nearly one month. This pattern favors program adherence and capturing better price windows in different destinations.

Business implications and next steps

With the United Kingdom as an anchor market, the priority is to strengthen destination consistency and brand narrative, without losing the operational efficiency that the Netherlands provides as a consolidation and re-export hub. In parallel, the opening of routes to the Gulf and Southeast Asia adds resilience and boosts margins in key weeks.

The fine-tuning will depend on the execution: harvesting at the optimal point, thermal control from the field to the retailer, segregation by attribute, and monitoring with objective tools to ensure the agreed quality. In parallel, logistics improvements—coordinated work with ports and operators—continue to increase the predictability of maritime shipments.

Looking ahead to the next cycle, the combination of modern genetics, operational discipline, and market diversification sustains South Africa's position as a competitive origin. A broader destination portfolio and more predictable operations translate into better value capture and longer-term business relationships.