By Jasper Raats
With its unique combination of shorter transport times, high quality, and a strategic export window, South Africa holds a promising future in the Chinese avocado market.
The South African avocado industry has just completed its first season of market access to China, and with the initial fruits from the 2025 season already in the packhouses, it seems that Chinese importers and consumers are again eagerly anticipating these South African fruits.
Chinese importers recently praised South African avocados in a webinar hosted by the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), commending our farmers for the quality of their products.
The webinar aimed to highlight the dynamics of the Chinese avocado market and provide South African producers with the opportunity to learn how their products, opportunities, and challenges in this market compare with those of other exporters.
The Chinese avocado market has experienced significant changes in recent years, achieving record imports in 2023, followed by a decline in 2024.
Mabel Zhuang from IFPA China shared insights about this market in her presentation, highlighting its current challenges. In 2023, China imported 65 000 tons of avocados – the highest amount ever recorded. However, in 2024, these imports decreased to approximately 49 000 tons.
According to her, this decline can be attributed to a slowdown in China’s economic growth, which has affected consumers’ purchasing power. Another possible reason is that the demand for avocados is still developing, as they are a relatively new fruit in the Chinese market.
Currently, ten countries have access to the Chinese avocado market, with Peru and Chile being the largest suppliers, despite a decline in Peru’s import volume and value in 2024. In 2024, New Zealand surpassed Mexico to become the third-largest exporter of avocados to China. In addition to these traditional suppliers, countries such as the United States, South Africa, Colombia, Tanzania, and the Philippines have also gained access to the market in recent years.
Imports from South Africa and Tanzania only commenced in the last quarter of 2024, which means their complete seasonal contribution has not yet been established.
Market development
Lifan Yu from Halls China explained how the company has worked since its inception in 2018 to develop and expand the market for avocados in China. “Through our partnerships with exporters in various production regions, we strive to ensure high-quality avocados are available year-round on China’s store shelves.”
Over the past seven years, he has observed the growth of avocado consumption in the Chinese market and how consumers increasingly value quality. The first avocados from Africa arrived in China from Kenya in 2022. Although he did not comment on the quality of the Kenyan product, he believes that the consistent supply and quality of the fruits for which South Africa is renowned will ensure that the country’s produce becomes very popular with buyers.
He explained that Chinese buyers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their avocado purchases. They are concerned about the health of the fruits, the taste, and the oil content and prefer ripe avocados that are ready to eat, like consumers worldwide.
He is convinced that South African avocados will increase the fruit’s consumption in China, as there have frequently been quality issues with products from other countries up to this point.
“Such inferior products, even if just one shipment, turn consumers away from avocados and make them reach for something else on the shelf when they shop again. It’s difficult to win back a consumer who has decided against a product due to taste or quality reasons.”
For Chinese buyers, there is also value in South Africa’s ability to supply different avocado cultivars, including green-skinned cultivars that distinguish it from other exporting countries such as Peru and Chile, which exclusively supply Hass types. The demand for green-skinned cultivars is increasing in China, offering a competitive advantage.
South Africa possesses a geographical advantage over its largest competitors in the Chinese market. The average sea journey from South Africa to China takes approximately 22 days, while avocados from Peru and Chile can take up to two additional weeks. This shorter transport time helps preserve the product’s quality and represents a significant advantage in a market where freshness is crucial.
Market window
For Grace Shi of Mr. Avocado in China, South Africa’s strategic supply window, quality benefits, and logistical advantages over other exporting countries like Peru and Chile make it an appealing supplier of avocados for her consumer market.
She believes South Africa has a unique opportunity to leverage its ability to supply fruits to the Chinese market ahead of South American exporters. She mentioned that although South Africa’s volumes are still low at the start of the season, the country has avocados ready for export starting in week 14, which is at the end of March and the beginning of April.
“South Africa must strategically plan its production to fully utilise this market window and stay competitive against countries like Chile and Peru.”
She acknowledged the views of other buyers regarding the quality of South African fruits. She mentioned that the country’s avocado farmers employ excellent management practices, which is evident in their planting methods and handling systems.
“South African avocados” quality advantage is crucial for the Chinese market, where consumers increasingly focus on taste and texture. Research has shown that the taste profile of South African avocados matches well with Chinese preferences,” she said.
Consumer trends
Scott Lu from Dole Fruit in China shared research findings indicating that families account for the country’s largest share of avocado consumption. This includes both families with children and young couples without children.
Another important consumer group includes office workers and cooking enthusiasts. These individuals view avocados as a healthy addition to their diet and incorporate them into their recipes as a fresh ingredient.
There is also a significant rise in online consumption and mobile phone purchases of avocados, particularly among younger individuals, who frequently buy them with weight loss, fitness, and healthy eating in mind.
He says avocados are primarily bought for daily use, highlighting the fruit’s healthy and versatile character. This also accounts for the substantial increase in the fruit’s popularity in China over the last decade.
Consumers purchase avocados from retailers and directly from wholesalers and online platforms. Online shoppers prefer smaller fruit units with counts ranging from 22 to 30 per 4kg box. In contrast, larger, higher-quality fruits (counts of 20 to 24) are favoured in retail channels and chain stores that target groups with higher living standards measure (LSM) levels.
China categorises avocados by size – small, medium, and large – and offers various packaging options, including 4kg and 10kg boxes, to accommodate diverse consumer preferences.
Yu mentioned that one of the biggest obstacles for exporters to China is the unpredictability of prices. He attributes this to varying import volumes and the shipping schedules of different countries of origin. Quality issues can also be problematic, particularly at the season’s beginning and end, affecting consumer confidence and market stability.
Last year, Dole China was the first company in the country to import South African avocados in collaboration with Westfalia.
Yu believes that the positive reception these avocados received from Chinese consumers, owing to their taste and quality, could lead to increased demand for South African avocados in the upcoming seasons.
Also read:
Westfalia Fruit delivers first SA avocados to India and China.
Commission: Consumers paying too high prices for fruit and veg.
