SABPA EVENTS

CIIE 2025: A Strategic View of the Chinese Import Market for South African Exporters

by | Dec 15, 2025 | News | 0 comments

Pietersarel de Bruyn of HerbsAplenty recently participated at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) where he gained valuable insights into what South African exporters can expect when entering the Chinese market. The opportunities are real—but success requires a careful and informed approach.
Big Opportunities for Premium Products
China’s upper-income consumers are still spending strongly, even though the middle class is feeling some economic pressure. This creates solid demand for high-quality, premium goods. Because China is so large, even a single city can offer a viable and substantial market. Shanghai alone, with a population of more than 24 million people, represents a consumer base bigger than many countries. This scale means that niche, premium or specialised products can find
strong, sustainable demand. China’s large population also contributes to the scale of events like the China International
Import Expo. In 2025, the CIIE featured a total exhibition area of more than 430,000 square metres, attracting over 4,100 overseas exhibitors from 155 countries, regions and international organisations. The event recorded nearly 922,000 visits by attendees, making it one of the largest trade shows anywhere in the world.
China’s rapidly aging population is also driving a surge in interest in health and wellness products—especially those with a natural, trustworthy story. This aligns perfectly with South Africa’s unique botanical offerings.
Regulatory and Technical Challenges
However, getting products into China is not simple. Many South African plant-based extracts and ingredients still lack the formal registrations needed for commercial import. Moving forward will require coordinated industry action and ongoing engagement with China’s GeneralAdministration of Customs (GACC). Pietersarel also observed how advanced China’s manufacturing has become. Many potential partners rely heavily on robotics and AI-driven production. This means they expect extremely consistent, high-spec raw materials—so exporters must be ready to meet tight quality standards.
Navigating Cultural and Business Risks
The language barrier remains one of the biggest challenges, even with translation services available. A trustworthy local partner with a good understanding of regulations and culture is essential. There are also stories of exporters who struggled with late payments or no payments at all. In China, relationships matter deeply. Building trust takes time, and patience is key. Strong partnerships and long-term engagement are far more valuable than quick wins.
A Word of Thanks
Pietersarel expresses his sincere thanks to the dtic for organizing and supporting the South African Pavilion. Their efforts made it possible for HerbsAplenty to showcase its products on an international stage and engage meaningfully with potential partners.

 

Thomas Brendler

 

Dr. Thomas Brendler is a scientist and consultant with over 30 years of experience in the field of natural product development, registration, and licensing, for medicine, food, and cosmetics. He is an expert in botanical research, product innovation, regulatory affairs, and sourcing of raw materials. He has contributed to the development and implementation of quality standards, herbal pharmacopoeias, and scientific publications for several organizations and agencies, including the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Centre for Development of Enterprise, and the International Trade Centre.

He is a co-founder and former director of the Association of African Medicinal Plants Standards, a non-profit organization that promotes the sustainable use of African plants. He holds a PhD in Botany from the University of Johannesburg and has published more than 50 papers and books on topics related to ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology, phytotherapy, and natural product regulation.

Dr. Brendler is a member of the editorial boards of several journals, a US Pharmacopoeia expert committee member, and a board member of the International Society for Ethnopharmacology and the American Botanical Council. In 2023, he co-founded the Southern African Botanical Product Association (SABPA). He is also affiliated with Traditional Medicinals, a leading herbal tea company in the US, as Principal Scientist R&D.

Ferdinand Labuschagne

 

Ferdinand Labuschagne has been in the Medicinal Plant industry for the past 4 years, spending the first couple of years on building the commercial supply side of the Sceletium value chain through the establishment of KarooKanna Cultivation. Ferdinand have spent his  professional career in the Entrepreneurial space spending time in the following industries: Retail, International Forex and Commodity markets, Property development and marketing, mining, sales and marketing.

Ferdinand contributes to SABPA on marketing the association to new members, and represents the association on Natural medicine supply conferences both locally and internationally to help our members’ businesses through accessing new clients both locally and internationally.

Avril Harvey

 

Avril Harvey started her career as a researcher in a number of small Biotech start-ups (both in the United Kingdom and in South Africa) before her focus shifted to the commercialization of technology using public funds channeled through the Department of Science and Technology Innovation Centers.

As a project manager and management consultant, she has worked on consulting engagements helping multinationals to strategize on growth in Africa, as well as with small, post revenue generating social enterprises to become investment ready. Avril has both a Masters in Molecular Microbiology and a Masters in Business Administration.

Avril has worked at Parceval since 2016 with a focus on grant proposal writing, project management and consulting on supply chains and Nagoya Protocol for clients. She is a founding member of SABPA and is the current Secretary and Treasurer. She brings expertise on the local South African NEMBA and Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing legislation and processes to the Board of Directors.

Ulrich Feiter

Ulrich Feiter is the founder and CEO of Parceval Pty, based in Wellington near Cape Town, South Africa. 

Born and bred in Germany and with a background in horticulture, Ulrich started Parceval in 1992 in South Africa after having worked at companies like WALA and Weleda in Germany as well as in South Africa. Parceval cultivates and sources botanical raw materials for processing to herbal medicines as well as cosmetic ingredients in their GMP factory, both for local as well as international markets. 

His interest in indigenous plants and biological resources now spans some four decades with much pioneering work in commercialisation. Ulrich has worked in many African countries setting up sustainable supply chains for a variety of global clients in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry. His work includes taking plants from wild harvesting into cultivation, working with rural communities and high end global pharmaceutical companies alike, compliance to Nagoya Protocol, negotiating innovative benefit sharing agreements and much more. 

Together with like-minded associates, he is a co-founder and first chairperson of SABPA.

Dr. Belinda Tan, MD is a physician-scientist, digital health pioneer, and Co-Founder and Co-CEO of People Science, a public benefit company dedicated to advancing evidence generation in health, complementary medicine, and food-as-medicine. The People Science platform, Chloe, enables evidence generation that bridges Pathogenesis and Salutogenesis. Trained in immunology, dermatology, and dermatopathology, Dr. Tan has dedicated her career to bridging clinical research with scalable technology. Before People Science, she co-founded Science 37, a leader in decentralized clinical trials, and helped launch DirectDerm, expanding teledermatology access nationwide. She is board-certified in dermatology and dermatopathology, holds degrees from MIT and UCLA, and has served as a clinical investigator and professor at Harbor-UCLA. She currently serves on several advisory boards, including the Beneficial Plant Research Association, and champions inclusive, consumer-centered research from her home base in Venice Beach, California. She believes that People + Plants will save the world.

Julia Weaver is the Herb Procurement Manager at Herb Pharm and manages global sourcing and procurement activities for Herb Pharm and Pacific Botanicals. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Plant and Microbial Biology from North Carolina State University, with a research focus in Ethnobotany. With nearly a decade of experience in the natural products industry, Julia specializes in quality-centered supply chain management, ethical sourcing, innovation, and product education.

My name is Leana Snyders. I am one of two Lead Community Researchers on the South African Team of ‘Leaving no-one behind in Research’. In my main role, I serve as the Director of the South African San Council, where I dedicate my life to representing and empowering Indigenous communities across South Africa. I live in Upington, but my roots lie in Steinkopf, Namakwaland. I am a proud mother of one daughter and a grandmother. From working as a diamond sorter to becoming a Coordinator of Indigenous Documentation and Director of the Kalahari Desert Festival, I have applied my skills in many ways - all guided by one purpose: to serve my community and be a voice for Indigenous people.

People inspire me: family, friends, colleagues. As Director of the San Council of South Africa, I have the privilege of getting to know San from all different language groups and collaborating with them. When I can stand up for people’s rights, I will. I also enjoy overseas travel, getting to know other countries and speaking on the rights of the San in the process. I have a passion for self-care and I am also the creator of the first-ever Buchu Hair Growth Oil, a proudly Indigenous product originally developed to help my goddaughter’s scalp. What began as a simple act of care , from mixing ingredients in my mother’s kitchen, has grown into a celebrated product used by women across the country. Through this hair oil, I aim to create something that not only inspires but also tells a story. Like many Indigenous concepts, it all starts with the roots. I have learned through many lessons in my life and career that when you understand where you come from, when you understand your roots, you gain the strength to help others grow along with yourself.

Empowerment, especially of Indigenous women, remains at the center of everything I do. I strive not only to inspire others but to set an example for my daughter and grandson, showing them that strength, purpose, and pride in one’s heritage can change lives and uplift entire communities. I live my life with purpose and passion, especially in the area of women’s empowerment. I founded the first-ever Indigenous Women’s Conference in South Africa, an initiative very close to my heart and inspired by my personal journey. The conference is rooted in the concept of my book, Behind My Red Lips, which tells a story of empowerment through the symbolism of red lipstick: a bold reminder of confidence, resilience, and identity.

Together with the Namaqua daisy, these symbols represent my personal strength and that of my community. The Namaqua daisy may look delicate, but it flourishes in the harshest conditions and always turning its face toward the sun. This is how I see the spirit of Indigenous women: strong, enduring, and full of light.

Professor (Botany)

Department of Botany and Zoology

Group leader - Medicinal plant biology / Medicinal plant research

My research is centred around using a multidirectional approach that combines the areas of biotechnology, ethnopharmacology and phytochemistry. In my group, we use cutting edge multi-omics technologies to study how plants function at genetic and biochemicals levels in relation to the production of specialized metabolites that impart health-beneficiating properties to medicinal plants. We also aim to better characterize responses of medicinal plants to the environment to assist with the production of quality assured, economically suitable phytopharmaceutics. Several current projects employ in vitro plant propagation methods as a scientific tool to resolve genetic-to-metabolome effects on various plant species. Exploitation of such technologies also provides a tool that allows the conservation of indigenous medicinal plants that may face overharvesting pressures from wild populations. I have an interest in people-plant interactions and so my research is also focused on medicinal plants, their cultural significance and opportunities presented for socioeconomic development. This has led to me a collaborative partnership with the Cape Bush Doctors organization and this group of bush doctors holds deep knowledge with regards to medicinal plants of the greater Cape Floristic Region.

In 2011, I was a recipient of the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Annual Award under the category Distinguished Young Black Researcher (Female), TW Kambule NRF award for 2011/12, and a Fulbright Research Scholar where I was positioned at the University of Minnesota in 2017 to 2018. In 2022, I was a finalist in the NSTF Awards for science communication. I am a founding member of the social advocacy movement founded in 2020, Black Botanists Week that aims to bring greater visibility to Black, Indigenous and People of Colour who may be formally and informally trained in terms of their interests in plants.

Cyril has more than 30 years’ experience in the biotrade, natural products and small and medium size business development sectors.

In Namibia in the 1990s he worked with the team that established commercial marula oil production including the set-up of the supply associations and co-operatives and driving the commercial linkages to global companies. In 1999 he set up the Southern African Marula Oil Producers’ Network and facilitated the transfer of technology and know-how to community-based businesses in Botswana, Namibia, eSwatini, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

In 2000 Cyril was a member of the project formulation team that led to the establishment of the Southern African Natural Products Trade Association – PhytoTrade Africa. There he set up the European office, had roles of Head of Market Development and Head of R&D. During these roles he led the process to have Baobab fruit gain international market access through successful registration of this nutritious fruit as a novel food ingredient in the EU and obtaining recognition as a safe food ingredient in the USA though the FDA, and similar in Canada.

He took on the post of CEO of PhytoTrade Africa from 2013 to 2016, and during this time also served on the board of directors of the Union for Ethical Biotrade. Cyril has been involved in fundraising for the development of the biotrade sector and provides advisory services to the GIZ ABioSA project and the BioInnovation Africa project.

He is a director of Biotrade Ventures, an incubator of opportunities in the indigenous natural products sector with projects in Botswana and South Africa. Currently he has a focus on the development of the Marula fruit sector including access to local, regional and international markets.

My name is Leana Snyders. I am one of two Lead Community Researchers on the South African Team of ‘Leaving no-one behind in Research’. In my main role, I serve as the Director of the South African San Council, where I dedicate my life to representing and empowering Indigenous communities across South Africa. I live in Upington, but my roots lie in Steinkopf, Namakwaland. I am a proud mother of one daughter and a grandmother. From working as a diamond sorter to becoming a Coordinator of Indigenous Documentation and Director of the Kalahari Desert Festival, I have applied my skills in many ways - all guided by one purpose: to serve my community and be a voice for Indigenous people.

People inspire me: family, friends, colleagues. As Director of the San Council of South Africa, I have the privilege of getting to know San from all different language groups and collaborating with them. When I can stand up for people’s rights, I will. I also enjoy overseas travel, getting to know other countries and speaking on the rights of the San in the process. I have a passion for self-care and I am also the creator of the first-ever Buchu Hair Growth Oil, a proudly Indigenous product originally developed to help my goddaughter’s scalp. What began as a simple act of care , from mixing ingredients in my mother’s kitchen, has grown into a celebrated product used by women across the country. Through this hair oil, I aim to create something that not only inspires but also tells a story. Like many Indigenous concepts, it all starts with the roots. I have learned through many lessons in my life and career that when you understand where you come from, when you understand your roots, you gain the strength to help others grow along with yourself.

Empowerment, especially of Indigenous women, remains at the center of everything I do. I strive not only to inspire others but to set an example for my daughter and grandson, showing them that strength, purpose, and pride in one’s heritage can change lives and uplift entire communities. I live my life with purpose and passion, especially in the area of women’s empowerment. I founded the first-ever Indigenous Women’s Conference in South Africa, an initiative very close to my heart and inspired by my personal journey. The conference is rooted in the concept of my book, Behind My Red Lips, which tells a story of empowerment through the symbolism of red lipstick: a bold reminder of confidence, resilience, and identity.

Together with the Namaqua daisy, these symbols represent my personal strength and that of my community. The Namaqua daisy may look delicate, but it flourishes in the harshest conditions and always turning its face toward the sun. This is how I see the spirit of Indigenous women: strong, enduring, and full of light.

Suzette Trevor currently holds the position of Lead Buyer at Dohler South Africa for the Botanical Extract Business Unit in Paarl.  Döhler is a global producer, marketer and provider of technology-driven natural ingredients, ingredient systems and integrated solutions for the food and beverage industry.

Apart from her Human Resource qualification she obtained a diploma in Supply chain management through UNISA as well as a CIPS qualification. With over 25yrs of Supply Chain experience – in various industries - the last 6 yrs has been focused on Sourcing all raw material for the BU, Sales (internal and external) , the management of stock and production planning. Her main skill set includes collaborating with suppliers, negotiating, assessing company procurement needs and sourcing (local and globally) according to seasonal harvests.