PAARL, SOUTH AFRICA - Hortgro, an organization that supports and represents the deciduous fruit producers of South Africa, announces its second annual “Plum Possibilities” consumer-facing sweepstakes to shoppers in the United States. Now through March 18, participants will be encouraged via email and social media platforms to enter the promotion HERE for a chance to win one of two $500 gift cards.

Hortgro will connect with target audiences in the areas where the product will be available via online advertising through social media to drive demand for plums and encourage shoppers to participate in the sweepstakes. South African plums can be found at Costco, Sam’s Club, and Wegmans with high saturation in the northeast region.

“We are thrilled to be able to build upon the engagement and success we experienced from our inaugural promotion launch last year,” said Wilechia Van Der Westhuizen, Trade Development Manager at Hortgro. “Having the opportunity to continue to educate and enlighten U.S. consumers about what makes South African plums special is key to furthering our presence on grocery store shelves.”

Fruit began arriving to the U.S. from South Africa with a 50/50 split between New York and Philadelphia, just in time to kick off the consumer promotion, a release stated. The growing regions have been experiencing favorable weather conditions the last few weeks, which have contributed to the overall quality and taste of South African plums.

The South African stone fruit industry has been focused on new cultivars which has led to greater consistency of product in what is quite a challenging category. This ensures consumers have a positive eating experience and can trust the product every time.

“We hope that with this second year of the sweepstakes we are able to gather crucial information about shoppers that will help build relationships and increase sales for retail partners while also bring awareness to the greatness that South Africa stone fruit has to offer,” noted Van Der Westhuizen.