Tanzania blocks South African apples over banana trade dispute

TANZANIA – Tanzania has banned the import of South African apples, accusing Pretoria of dragging its feet in allowing Tanzanian bananas into the South African market.

The move comes after what Tanzanian officials describe as years of unsuccessful discussions.

Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe made the announcement in a televised address, stating that Tanzania would no longer wait. “We cannot continue to tolerate this unfair treatment. While negotiations are ongoing, we must act in defence of our economic interests,” he said.

He added that both South Africa and Malawi had failed to lift what Tanzania considers trade restrictions on its agricultural products.

Bashe also announced that maize purchased in Tanzania for humanitarian relief in Malawi would not be allowed to leave the country. “Malawi was scheduled to begin collecting fertiliser from Tanzania for their planting season starting May 1, 2025. That will not happen. No fertiliser will be allowed to cross into Malawi,” he said.

The ban, effective immediately, includes all agricultural produce from South Africa and Malawi, with apples taking the spotlight.

Bananas at the Centre of the Tension

Tanzania says it has pushed for banana market access for more than five years. The country previously went through a similar effort with avocados, which Bashe said only succeeded after Tanzania restricted certain South African imports.

“No Tanzanian will die for lack of grapes or South African apples,” Bashe declared, defending the latest action as necessary. The country imports between 30,000 and 40,000 cartons of South African apples each year. “This is a matter of protecting our business. This is trade, and mutual respect is non-negotiable.”

South Africa, however, claims the banana issue is not as straightforward. According to the Fresh Produce Import Association of South Africa (FPIA), Tanzanian bananas have not yet completed the official process to enter the market.

“The process is clear, and would involve a pest risk analysis according to International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) standards,” said FPIA general manager Marianna Theyse.

She explained that both South Africa and Tanzania are free of banana fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4), but the disease exists in northern Mozambique, which sits between the two countries. TR4 is regarded as one of the most damaging banana diseases.

“Tanzania’s plant health authority ably assisted their avocado industry to successfully complete the usual market access process,” Theyse added. Since 2021, Tanzanian avocados have been exported to South Africa. Last year, the value reached US$1.38 million — a 145% increase from 2022.

South Africa’s perspective

South Africa’s Department of Agriculture says it has had no formal banana trade request from Tanzania. “None of our members have indicated being approached by Tanzanian exporters testing the waters,” FPIA noted.

In contrast, the banana sector in South Africa claims it was unaware of Tanzania’s interest in accessing the market. The Banana Growers Association of South Africa said it had not been consulted.

Jan Lourens, a farmer in Komatipoort, said the lack of communication was disappointing and that the industry was already under pressure from neighbouring countries such as Mozambique and Eswatini.

“South Africa has an agricultural trade surplus against Tanzania,” said agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

He explained that Tanzania’s agricultural exports to South Africa, which include tobacco, tea, nuts, coffee and ginger, made up only 0.4% of South Africa’s agricultural imports in 2024. He said that starting a trade dispute over a product that is not yet a major export may not be the best approach.

Tanzania’s local apple farming push

Meanwhile, Tanzania is working on reducing its own dependence on imported apples. Since 2017, tamu tamu tanzania, a company based in the Iringa Region, has been growing over 30 apple varieties adapted to East Africa’s climate.

Operating a 100-acre farm, the company trains local farmers and buys back their harvests to process into juice, cider, and dried fruit.

tamu tamu tanzania has also partnered with the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) to support sustainable farming. Their aim is to meet a large share of Tanzania’s apple demand by 2030, cutting back on the region’s $400–500 million annual apple import bill.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.