Tzaneen is a large 'tropical garden town' situated in the
Mopani District Municipality of the
Limpopo province in
South Africa. It is Limpopo's second biggest town after
Polokwane. It is situated in a lush, high rainfall fertile region with
tropical and subtropical agriculture taking place in a 20,000 km² region. Tzaneen produces about 40% of South Africa's
avocados, 40% of South Africa's
mangoes and 20% of South Africa's
bananas. Tzaneen also produces 90% of South Africa's
tomatoes through the ZZ2, and other, farms making South Africa the
world's 40th largest tomato producer. Even though South Africa is ranked 40th in terms of tomato production, the ZZ2 farms themselves are the world's biggest producer of tomatoes. Tzaneen is also the biggest producer of
pine plantations in the Limpopo Province, accounting for more than 85% of Limpopo's
pine and
bluegum production. The majority of Tzaneen's tropical indigenous forest have been destroyed during the last 100-years in order to give way to
pine,
bluegum and other agricultural plantantions.
