Browse Data and Analysis

The enormous restraint on electricity generation and resulting power outages, locally known as load shedding, is emerging as a significant threat to South African agriculture. The cumulative hours of load shedding in the first seven months of 2022 already exceeds the annual record set in 2021.

The sharp upsurge in the cost of farming inputs for corn farmers in South Africa intensified the risk of production in a weather dependent industry, despite record-high commodity prices. As a result, Post forecasts that South Africa’s corn area will stay flat in marketing year 2022/23. However, South Africa should maintain its status as a net exporter of corn under normal weather conditions.

The South African retail food sector is well-developed and continues to expand into other African countries. In 2021, South African retail food sales totaled $40 billion, a 0.2 percent increase from 2020 as the South African economy began to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The production of timber is forecast to decrease by 20 percent to 12.4 million Metric Tons (MT) in the 2020/21 Marketing Year (MY), based on the decrease in area planted, fire damage...

On July 12, 2020, South Africa reintroduced the suspension on the sale, dispensing and distribution of liquor with immediate effect.

South Africa produced its second highest corn crop in history in the 2019/20 MY. This 16.1 million-ton bumper crop has suppressed local corn prices, and is expected to continue...

Currently there are no USDA endorsed trade shows planned in South Africa in 2020.

While the blueberry industry is still small relative to other fruit sectors in South Africa, such as citrus, apples, pears and table grapes, it has grown exponentially in the past 5 years.