South African producers are expecting to benefit considerably from the increased attention the country gained during the FIFA World Cup.
Despite the crippling Transnet transport strike, producers are reporting a positive season with citrus prices high and domestic fruit consumption remaining good despite the increased popularity of snacks during football matches.
“One would imagine that South Africa as a country became better known during the World Cup, and also that people now have a better understanding of how developed the country is. As such people may be inquisitive to try our produce,” Justin Chadwick, ceo of the Citrus Growers’ Association South Africa.
He added: “There is a heightened national pride around South Africa, and during the World Cup this did improve efficiencies at various public places, such as airports and police stations. Whether this will result in better service delivery in the future remains to be seen.”
Jacques Du Preez, product manager at SA Pome and Stone Fruit, said: “My opinion is that we will only start to experience the real effect of the World Cup from now. Yes, there was a great hype surrounding it and it was the perfect vehicle to market and brand anything “South African” before and during the actual World Cup. However, now the beautiful images, stories and programs that appeared in all forms of media are really cemented into people’s minds.
“As research we carried out prior to the World Cup suggested, sales of fruit may have actually dropped during the World Cup, as snacks, drinks and junk food sales increased. The World Cup had no negative impact on supply - the effect of the weather, port strike and even the ash cloud had way bigger impacts.
“The positive impact of the tournament to be experienced. It has given the image of South Africa as the Rainbow Nation a huge boost and proved that we are equipped and prepared to handle and satisfy even FIFA!”
