South Africa and Italy have finalized a technical trade agreement that clears the way for Italian table grapes to enter the South African market, marking a significant step forward in agricultural ties between the two nations.
The deal was finalized during a bilateral meeting between Italian Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, and his South African counterpart, John Steenhuisen. The discussions took place on the sidelines of the inaugural South Africa–Italy Agribusiness Forum in Cape Town, an event focused on building value-added partnerships from production to retail.
Under the newly approved work plan, Italian producers will gain access to South African consumers by leveraging complementary growing seasons. This seasonal offset allows both countries to sustain trade continuity without directly undercutting local harvesters during peak domestic seasons. Italy’s leadership signaled that this agreement could serve as a blueprint for future fruit exports.
“The opening of the South African market to Italian table grapes recognizes the excellence and quality of our products and confirms the effectiveness of our diplomatic and commercial efforts,” Lollobrigida said, adding that Rome aims to eventually expand the arrangement to include other exports like apples.
For South Africa, the agreement highlights an ongoing strategy to deepen commercial and technological ties with European partners. Speaking at a gala dinner at the Idiom Wine Estate in the Cape Winelands, Steenhuisen emphasized that the forum exposed vast, untapped corporate and research opportunities between the two economies.
“Agriculture is ultimately a people business,” Steenhuisen said. “It may involve technology, machinery, science, and innovation, but at its heart, it is still about people. Those shared values provide a strong foundation for the partnership we are building.”
