Packhouse technology turns fruit into Forex

With South African fruit exports surging (citrus up over 71% since 2015), the pressure is on packhouses to deliver quality and efficiency. No longer just a mechanical step, the packhouse is now the strategic bottleneck where real value is added - or lost.

- Jeanne van der Merwe

The growth of South Africa’s fruit exports shows no signs of abating, while the market for the technology and infrastructure that supports the sorting, packing and transport of millions of tons of locally grown fresh produce from orchard to retail shelves is experiencing its own boom.

South African citrus exports reached a new high this year, and has grown by more than 71% since 2015 (Farmer’s Weekly, 24 November 2025). Deciduous fruit exports are also booming; apple exports increased by 47% between 2015 and 2024, pears by 53%, and cherries almost sixfold. Growth is expected to continue as new plantings come into production in coming years. Concurrently, a growing number of big farming operations have invested in their own packhouses and marketing capacity in order to gain more control over their products and costs.

This has increased demand for packhouse technology and led to a growing number of packhouse service providers in the local market, to the point where this sector has started presenting its own annual summit to bring together specialists in this high-stakes, high-cost niche of agroprocessing.

"It is rare to find events that dedicate attention to the packing process itself. Yet, this is where value is added, where fruit is transformed to meet the exacting standards of local and global markets,” John Gray, managing director of agridata service provider The SPOT, and convener of the conference, told Farmer’s Weekly.

“By effectively combining labour and technology, packhouses ensure compliance, consistency, and competitiveness. For this reason, it is vital that packhouses remain aware of the opportunities associated with new technologies, as their role is central to the success of the entire fruit supply chain.”