South Africa’s agricultural exports have grown strongly over the past five years, although imports grew slightly faster in the latest quarter.
This is according to statistics from the second quarter of 2026 contained in the quarterly trade brief from the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP).
Agricultural exports have risen from R49bn in Q2 2021 to R74bn in Q2 2026 (a 52% increase), BFAP said. In recent years, imports have grown much more slowly and have remained between R35bn and R37bn.
In the second quarter of 2026, agricultural exports rose by 3.5% year on year, while imports rose by 4.2%. This kept net trade nearly the same as in 2025.
“Export growth was positive overall. Exports were largely destined for the SADC region, with the EU in second place. SADC accounted for 34% of agricultural exports. BRICS nations showed the fastest growth of 23%.”
The impact of tariffs imposed by the United States resulted in the US share of South African agricultural exports dropping from 5% in Q2 2025 to 3% in the second quarter of this year.
