Local varieties are very susceptible to a wide range of pests and diseases and farmers need to spray often to control diseases. Therefore the Afrisem tomato breeding program focuses on creating varieties with superior  resistance characteristics.

Afrisem is breeding for 3 types: semi-determinant, determinant and indeterminant tomatoes. Fruit shape is predominantly oval with big sized (110-150 g) fruits.

In addition to resistances, shelf life and high early yield are main breeding goals.

The first Afrisem hybrid tomato varieties are expected to become commercially available by 2014.