By Lukhanyo Nkombisa, General Manager of the CGA Grower Development Company
In February, citrus farmers across South Africa watched President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address with interest. Many of those watching were black citrus farmers, who have played a significant role in the transformation of the industry. In his address this year, President Ramaphosa rightly recognised South Africa’s position as the second largest citrus exporter in the world. This was an important national recognition for an industry that delivers billions of rands in export earnings, supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, and anchors rural economies across the country.
For many black growers, this recognition carried additional weight. Citrus farming is capital-intensive, long-term and unrelenting. Orchards take many years to mature, global markets enforce gruelling compliance standards, and profit margins depend on logistics, finance, governance and data as much as on what happens in the soil. Transformation in this context cannot only be symbolic. It has to be structural, with a long-term focus that will live on for generations.
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This approach is what led to the establishment of the Growers’ Development Company (GDC) in 2016 as the non-profit transformation arm of the Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA). The GDC is funded by citrus growers themselves. This signals something distinctive about the citrus industry: Inclusivity is not an external obligation imposed on the industry, rather, it is a responsibility the industry has proudly taken ownership of.
The GDC exists to support the creation of profitable black-owned citrus enterprises that can compete in domestic and global markets.
In practice, this means supporting growers to become investment-ready in a value chain shaped by decades of unequal access to capital, markets and export infrastructure. It includes facilitating mergers and joint ventures, strengthening governance and compliance, and ensuring that emerging producers can meet the complex requirements of export markets. It also means grounding the decisions that will support citrus growers in credible data, technical support and long-term planning.
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Today, black citrus growers collectively farm approximately 7 760 hectares across South Africa, with more than 6 800 hectares already in production and a further 936 hectares still coming into bearing. Spread between the 120 black producers, this represents a growing and increasingly material presence in an industry where scale, long-term investment and export readiness are critical.
Last year, during a gathering of black citrus growers in South Africa, Elder Mtshiza, Chief Director of the Department of Agriculture’s Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), commended the citrus industry for its outstanding progress in transformation. In her address to the delegates, she highlighted that the contribution of black citrus producers not only exceeds the national average across all agricultural commodities but also sets a benchmark for inclusive growth.
To get to this point, however, took years of dedication and hard work.
One of the clearest indicators of this is the institutional capacity that has been built around it. Through the GDC, black citrus growers receive structured enterprise development that combines on-farm extension services, business and compliance support, and targeted grant funding.
In the past financial year, GDC, through its grant vehicle the Enterprise Development Fund, supported 69 farms and invested a total of R37.6 million across six provinces in growers. This includes investments in establishment costs, production inputs, citrus trees, equipment, vehicles, electricity, fuel, infrastructure, integrated pest management, water systems, irrigation materials and packing.
Above this, the GDC also contributes through one-on-one farmer support, extension services, the supply of information, and business skills development.
This combination of technical support, business development and financial backing is what enables farms to move beyond survival and toward long-term commercial sustainability.
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The citrus sector is one of the most transformed sectors in South Africa’s agriculture. This is even more remarkable considering that orchards take 4-6 years to be established, requiring a massive initial capital investment, unlike other crops that could offer quicker returns.
This year the GDC will be celebrating its 10th year, and it starts this new chapter with a refined strategy. The objective is explicit: to redouble efforts to help build profitable citrus enterprises that contribute to South Africa’s economy. This requires deeper partnerships with financial institutions, government cooperation, a greater use of blended finance instruments, and a persistent focus on outcomes.
For investors and development partners interested in transformation, there is great opportunity in the citrus industry. The citrus value chain has been proven: Demand is global, infrastructure exists and South Africa’s competitive position in the international market is well-established. Apart from export options, the local citrus and citrus juicing market has also proven itself to be profitable for many of our growers. What transformation requires, across all sectors, is well-structured capital aligned with capable partners who understand the realities of the industry.
Investing in citrus is an investment in food security, rural employment and export competitiveness. It is also an investment in ensuring that South Africa’s future citrus success is broader, deeper and more inclusive than its past.
When President Ramaphosa referred to South Africa’s agriculture sector as one that is expanding rapidly, he was speaking about industries like citrus – where growth is anchored by the principle of inclusive participation. For the citrus industry, transformation is not a slogan. It is a reality that is shaping the industry’s future: one that supports black growers, strengthens enterprises and ensures competitiveness in global markets.
