South Africa’s agricultural exports took a slight dip in the second quarter, dropping by 0.1% year-on-year to $3.37 billion. This follows a strong start to the year with a 6% growth in the first quarter. The second quarter’s decline compared to last year highlights a drop in prices for some agricultural products and reduced export volumes. Despite this, citrus, apples, pears, maize, wine, dates, pineapples, avocados, sugar, grapes, fruit juices, nuts, and wool remained the top exports.
According to the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), while export values dipped, port efficiency improved compared to 2023. This suggests that the decrease was more about pricing and domestic production challenges, especially in grains and oilseeds, rather than logistics issues. South Africa still leads in African agricultural exports, making up 42% of the continent’s total export value. Key exports to Africa include maize, sugar, apples, and wine, while Asia and the Middle East receive citrus, wool, and nuts. The EU, South Africa’s third-largest market, accounts for 19% of exports, featuring citrus, avocados, and wine.
In contrast, South Africa imported $1.89 billion in agricultural goods in the second quarter, up 5% year-on-year. Imports include wheat, palm oil, rice, and poultry, driven by local production challenges and climatic conditions.Overall, the agriculture sector achieved a trade surplus of $1.47 billion, although this is a 6% decrease from the previous year. Agbiz remains optimistic, emphasizing the need for better logistics, market retention, and expansion into strategic markets like South Korea and Mexico. The recent BRICS conference underscored the importance of reducing trade barriers to boost agricultural trade, a priority for South Africa in negotiations with BRICS+ members.
