Fixing Citrus Export Delays | Ep. 82

In this episode, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down in-person at the Citrus Summit with Mitchell Brooke, Logistics Development Manager at the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA).

They discuss the harsh realities and forward-thinking solutions around port logistics, export capacity, and South Africa’s citrus supply chain. With mounting pressure on Transnet, port congestion, rising container volumes, and climate impacts, Mitchell unpacks CGA’s proposed national coordination model for port logistics — a game-changing shift towards industry-wide collaboration, on-site port presence, and private-sector driven planning systems.

Key Takeaways:

•South Africa's ports face deep systemic challenges — from equipment failure to weather delays — and it won’t improve dramatically in the next 3–5 years.

•CGA is proposing a new operational logistics structure with representatives on the ground in each port, aligning exporter plans with terminal capabilities.

•Windbound disruptions are a major issue in ports like Cape Town and Ngqura, and current mitigation strategies are insufficient.•CGA is exploring public-private partnerships, localized systems development via ESIT, and even alternate port usage to handle increasing citrus volumes.

•The Maputo model and the Hapag-Lloyd contract show what’s possible when exporters collaborate on logistics and shipping.

•Rail remains a major hurdle due to capital intensity; funding and coordination are key barriers to revitalization.

Connect with Mitchell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchell-brooke-81463547/

More about the CGA: https://www.cga.co.za/

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