South Africa: Late mandarin exports stabilize in 2026 with slight drop

After several years of strong growth in this category, the Citrus Growers' Association of Southern Africa (CGA) is reporting a slight year-on-year drop for the late mandarin 2026 export season, showing a phase of stabilization for the sector.

According to the association, the figures reflect a generally stable performance, with moderate variations between varieties.

Late mandarins are reported after the rest of the citrus fruits due to their later harvest window, the CGA explained.

Scenario for each mandarin variety

The Leanri variety continues to expand, with an estimated volume of 2.6 million 15-kilo boxes, a 13 percent increase from the previous season. In contrast, Orri is recording an 11 percent drop, reaching 2.4 million 15-kilo boxes.

Meanwhile, the “other late mandarins” category is growing 11 percent, according to CGA, totaling nearly four million boxes, driven by the expansion of the Royal Honey Murcott variety.

Nadorcott/Tango, the main South African mandarin variety, shows a slight contraction of 1.6 percent, reaching an estimated volume of 30.5 million 15-kilo boxes. This decrease is largely attributed to lower production projections in the Eastern and Western Cape regions, which together account for nearly 60 percent of this variety’s total volume.

The chairman of the Mandarin Focus Group of the CGA, Hendrik Warnich, said that “the figures reflect a relatively stable position, without significant changes,” although he warned that these are estimates subject to multiple variables. 

Although the CGA reported steady citrus flow to Middle Eastern markets, Warnich said disruptions in the region could affect both demand and transit times for mandarins.

Total projection upward

With the inclusion of late mandarins, the CGA completed its total estimate for the 2026 citrus season.

South Africa is projected to export approximately 209 million 15-kilo boxes, a two percent increase from the 203.9 million boxes recorded in 2025

The industry emphasized that despite the logistical and geopolitical challenges, the sector maintains a solid production base and prospects for moderate growth for the current campaign.

*All images are referential.

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