Growing regions
Four provinces, four different seasons.
South Africa runs from semi-tropical in the north to cool coastal in the south. That spread is why the country can supply citrus for most of the year — and why where fruit comes from decides when it can ship.
| Province | Share of citrus area | Strongest in |
|---|---|---|
| Limpopo | 41% | Grapefruit (60% of national area), lemons (34%), soft citrus (28%) |
| Eastern Cape | 26% | Lemons (43% of national area), soft citrus (25%) |
| Western Cape | 20% | Soft citrus (38% of national area — the largest single share) |
| Mpumalanga | 8% | Grapefruit (19% of national area) |
Why this matters for an India programme
The Western Cape holds the largest share of national soft citrus area and runs later and cooler than the north. Late Western Cape mandarins are therefore the fruit most likely to still be packing when the Indian window opens in July — while Limpopo, which starts earliest, is often finished by then.
Ports
How it leaves the country
Durban
The dominant citrus port, handling roughly 81% of orange exports. Serves Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, and is the natural loading port for an Indian Ocean route.
Gqeberha & Ngqura
Between 7% and 26% of shipments depending on variety. The Eastern Cape ports, and the outlet for the lemon crop in particular.
Cape Town
Between 12% and 18% depending on variety. Serves Western Cape soft citrus, at the cost of a longer sea leg to the subcontinent.
Durban is the shortest route to India, which matters when the protocol requires cold treatment held through the voyage: a shorter leg is a shorter window for something to go wrong.
Sources
Industry figures are the most recent published at the time of writing and are indicative, not a warranty.