Good news for avocado lovers in South Africa

Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), Wandile Sihlobo, says that the reported avocado shortage in the country will likely be short-lived, and smashed avo on toast should be back on the menu soon.
News24 reported this week that South Africa was experiencing tight avocado supplies, impacting availability across the country, as well as pricing.
While Sihlobo acknowledged the issue, he said there are reasonable explanations behind it and that it will be short-lived.
“One must appreciate that avocado season in South Africa runs from February through to September. Therefore, we were bound to have lower supplies around this time of the year,” he said.
“Second, South Africa exported a large number of avocados in 2024 due to strong global demand, which led to tight domestic supplies.”
The economist said that the dearth is temporary: supplies should improve by February, and prices should moderate.
He noted that South Africa produces over 120,000 tonnes of avocado a year for domestic use and export.
“We generally export about half of the harvest. Our key export markets include the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates,” he said.
He stressed that the export market doesn’t get fed at the expense of the domestic market, but every so often there will be tight supply.
“So, when you read that there were ample exports in 2024, such is good. We need to see continuous exports and new markets. Plenty of trees still have yet to bear fruit in this country, and the local market will not absorb them. For that, we need export markets.”
He added that domestic challenges—such as inefficient ports, poor roads, rising crime, and inept municipalities—are behind many of the struggles in the agricultural section, impacting avocados and other crops.
“(These challenges) add costs to business and threaten the long-term growth of the broader agricultural sector…we should resolve fundamental constraints to agricultural growth as a country,” he said.
The avocado issue is contrary to struggles and price hikes seen with chocolate (cocoa) and coffee, where South Africa is dependent on imports of these crops and producing countries are struggling to meet demand.
For coffee and chocolate lovers in South Africa, the price pain felt there is expected to continue well into 2025 and possibly beyond.