Indigenous fruit preferences and factors influencing their consumption among residents of Bushbuckridge, Giyani and Tzaneen, South Africa

There is an abundance of indigenous fruits (IF) consumed by local communities in the Lowveld regions of South Africa. However, there is limited knowledge of their consumption preferences among local residents. Therefore, this study identifies factors influencing the consumption of IF in the Lowveld regions of South Africa, with particular focus on Bushbuckridge, Giyani, and Tzaneen. Descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model were used to analyse data for 123 participants in this study. Household size was significantly and negatively associated with IF consumption by a margin of − 1.843, at 1% level of significance. In contrast, IF preference was significantly and positively associated with IF consumption by a margin of 2.837, at 5% level of significance. Therefore, it is recommended that local agribusinesses and rural enterprises process IF to extend its shelf life and make bulk distribution affordable for large families. Incorporation of IF in nutrition programs may directly target children from large households that may face intra-household resource allocation constraints. Educational awareness highlighting the nutritional, medicinal, and climate-resilience benefits of IF, and its rebranding among young demographics, may strengthen preference for IF and, consequently, increase its consumption. These initiatives will be essential in elevating communities by eliminating hunger and malnutrition, subsequently facilitating the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 (No Poverty and Zero Hunger).