South Africa can look forward to above-average rainfall into early 2026. This should herald another bumper grain harvest and lower feed prices for livestock producers.
The good news was brought by a statement from the United States National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Centre that “La Niña conditions emerged in September 2025.”
La Niña typically brings above-average rains to southern Africa, the Daily Maverick reported. This one was expected to persist into early 2026, coinciding with most of the summer grain-growing season. This could also be a mixed blessing since the risk of flooding events is also significantly raised.
“La Niña is caused by cooling sea-surface temperatures in the tropical areas of the eastern Pacific Ocean. Its polar opposite, El Niño, is triggered by a warming of these waters and usually scorches this region with drought,” the Daily Maverick said.
“Last season, South African maize farmers reaped a bumper crop in large part because of the rains unleashed by the last La Niña. That harvest is now forecast to reach 16.12 million tonnes, 26% higher than the 2023-24 season which was hit hard by El Niño.”
The effects of climate change mean that the coming summer in South Africa is forecast to be warmer than usual – “but at least it is also expected to be wet,” the report stated.
