We spent last Wednesday and Thursday in Gqeberha attending the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa 2025 Summit.
The theme of the summit was “Tough times don’t last, tough people do”.
We got to listen to exceptional speakers discussing various themes such as the political economy, Asian citrus market dynamics, SA citrus growth prospects and export strategies, and logistics issues.
About 700 delegates — growers, traders, government officials, agricultural leaders and logistics company representatives — attended the event.
This was also the last congress for the association’s now-former long-time chief executive Justin Chadwick, who is a legend in the world of citrus and agriculture.
When examining SA’s agriculture production and export data today, citrus typically ranks first.
The country’s production of oranges, grapefruit, mandarins and lemons has increased significantly.
But it was not always the case.
About three decades ago, the industries at the top of the list were mainly maize, poultry, dairy, deciduous fruit, and other livestock production.
In export data, maize, wool, wine and various fruit were primarily on the top, and citrus did not feature prominently.
However, the citrus industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years.
This growth is due to robust global demand (about half of total citrus production is exported), which led to increased investment and expanded the area planted.
This process created more jobs on the farms and in the value chain and boosted the economies of small towns.
The industry accounts for more than 100,000 jobs in rural SA.
Many people were part of this progress and transformative period in SA’s citrus industry.
However, few have served for as long and with as much dedication as Chadwick.
He retires in 2025 after a quarter of a century of service, building the robust citrus industry that South Africans pride themselves on today.
The credit also goes to the association’s staff and growers, who continued to support him in leading the organisation.
Chadwick also valued regional agricultural co-operation.
This is evident through the expansion of SA’s citrus industry to include many countries in the region, forming a well-organised industry across Southern Africa.
For example, in recent years, the association expanded its reach to include growers from Zimbabwe and other neighbouring countries.
The skills and technology that SA’s growers perfected were shared with growers in the region.
Chadwick continues to nurture young talent, and the association ensures that young people are well-equipped to serve growers and build a robust citrus industry.
The former chief executive also supports transformation and inclusiveness, exemplified through various initiatives through the association and its development arm.
For example, its Vision 260 initiative aims to increase the volumes of exported citrus and ensure that black farmers have a notable share of this.
When we experienced challenges in various export markets, Chadwick worked collaboratively with the government and organised agriculture to ensure SA had access to multiple aspects of markets.
A recent example is SA’s citrus export challenges in the EU.
The EU used non-tariff barriers by citing concerns over the false codling moth, a citrus pest in SA, and requiring that citrus products be kept at certain temperatures before accessing the EU market, though SA had already implemented pest control measures.
As Chadwick retires, I am looking at SA’s agricultural export data for 2024, which is up 3% from 2023, at $13.7bn (R248bn).
And you guessed it right, the top exported products by value include citrus (the top product), then nuts, maize, apples and pears, wine, fruit juice, sugar, dates, figs, avocados, mangos, berries and grapes, among other products.
Ultimately, one can conclude that Chadwick is passionate about the citrus industry and agriculture and is driven by a big vision for its growth.
Over the years, he has pushed everyone hard to show results — traits some could easily misread as brashness.
He has had tough conversations with government officials when necessary.
Still, no-one can doubt that he is a patriot committed to the growth and transformation of the industry.
Wandile Sihlobo is the chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA and the author of three books; including his latest, The Uncomfortable Truth About South Africa’s Agriculture (2025).
Justin Chadwick instrumental in growing SA’s citrus industry
Columnist
Image: SUPPLIED
We spent last Wednesday and Thursday in Gqeberha attending the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa 2025 Summit.
The theme of the summit was “Tough times don’t last, tough people do”.
We got to listen to exceptional speakers discussing various themes such as the political economy, Asian citrus market dynamics, SA citrus growth prospects and export strategies, and logistics issues.
About 700 delegates — growers, traders, government officials, agricultural leaders and logistics company representatives — attended the event.
This was also the last congress for the association’s now-former long-time chief executive Justin Chadwick, who is a legend in the world of citrus and agriculture.
When examining SA’s agriculture production and export data today, citrus typically ranks first.
The country’s production of oranges, grapefruit, mandarins and lemons has increased significantly.
But it was not always the case.
About three decades ago, the industries at the top of the list were mainly maize, poultry, dairy, deciduous fruit, and other livestock production.
In export data, maize, wool, wine and various fruit were primarily on the top, and citrus did not feature prominently.
However, the citrus industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years.
This growth is due to robust global demand (about half of total citrus production is exported), which led to increased investment and expanded the area planted.
This process created more jobs on the farms and in the value chain and boosted the economies of small towns.
The industry accounts for more than 100,000 jobs in rural SA.
Many people were part of this progress and transformative period in SA’s citrus industry.
However, few have served for as long and with as much dedication as Chadwick.
He retires in 2025 after a quarter of a century of service, building the robust citrus industry that South Africans pride themselves on today.
The credit also goes to the association’s staff and growers, who continued to support him in leading the organisation.
Chadwick also valued regional agricultural co-operation.
This is evident through the expansion of SA’s citrus industry to include many countries in the region, forming a well-organised industry across Southern Africa.
For example, in recent years, the association expanded its reach to include growers from Zimbabwe and other neighbouring countries.
The skills and technology that SA’s growers perfected were shared with growers in the region.
Chadwick continues to nurture young talent, and the association ensures that young people are well-equipped to serve growers and build a robust citrus industry.
The former chief executive also supports transformation and inclusiveness, exemplified through various initiatives through the association and its development arm.
For example, its Vision 260 initiative aims to increase the volumes of exported citrus and ensure that black farmers have a notable share of this.
When we experienced challenges in various export markets, Chadwick worked collaboratively with the government and organised agriculture to ensure SA had access to multiple aspects of markets.
A recent example is SA’s citrus export challenges in the EU.
The EU used non-tariff barriers by citing concerns over the false codling moth, a citrus pest in SA, and requiring that citrus products be kept at certain temperatures before accessing the EU market, though SA had already implemented pest control measures.
As Chadwick retires, I am looking at SA’s agricultural export data for 2024, which is up 3% from 2023, at $13.7bn (R248bn).
And you guessed it right, the top exported products by value include citrus (the top product), then nuts, maize, apples and pears, wine, fruit juice, sugar, dates, figs, avocados, mangos, berries and grapes, among other products.
Ultimately, one can conclude that Chadwick is passionate about the citrus industry and agriculture and is driven by a big vision for its growth.
Over the years, he has pushed everyone hard to show results — traits some could easily misread as brashness.
He has had tough conversations with government officials when necessary.
Still, no-one can doubt that he is a patriot committed to the growth and transformation of the industry.
Wandile Sihlobo is the chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA and the author of three books; including his latest, The Uncomfortable Truth About South Africa’s Agriculture (2025).
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