South Africa’s agricultural exports reached US$4.1 billion in the second quarter of 2026, marking a 10% increase from the same period last year. The growth was driven by stronger harvest volumes, better commodity prices, and a significant 56% surge in shipments to the United States following a tariff reduction.
For the first half of 2026, total agricultural exports reached US$7.8 billion, representing an 11% increase over the first half of 2025. This export strength stemmed from robust domestic crop yields and sustained global demand for the country’s farm products.
U.S. Tariff Cuts Fuel Export Surge
Trade activity with the United States saw a sharp rebound in the second quarter. South African agricultural exports to the U.S. climbed to US$123 million, jumping 56% from the first quarter of the year. This recovery followed a reduction in U.S. tariffs from 30% to 12.5%.
Even with that quarterly bounce, shipments remained 25% lower than in the second quarter of 2025, a period when local exporters rushed to take advantage of a 90-day pause before the implementation of what market watchers term Liberation Day tariffs
. The U.S. market accounted for 3% of South Africa’s overall agricultural export value in the second quarter of 2026, relying primarily on citrus, grapes, wine, and fruit juices. Long-term prospects in the American market depend heavily on whether South Africa secures an extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
Global Markets and Regional Destinations
The African continent retained the largest share of South Africa’s agricultural outbound shipments, taking 40% of the total export value in the second quarter of 2026. Top products moving into regional markets included maize, apples and pears, processed foods, sugar, fruit juices, soybean oil, wine, and sunflower oil.
Asia and the Middle East formed the second-largest destination, capturing 24% of total agricultural exports. Shipments to this region centered on citrus, apples and pears, maize, wool, nuts, sugar, mutton, beef, berries, wine, and soybeans. Meanwhile, the European Union absorbed 21% of South Africa’s export share, driven by citrus, dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, guavas, wine, apples and pears, fruit juices, and nuts. The Americas accounted for 5% of exports, while the United Kingdom and other global destinations made up the remaining 10%.
Domestically, export logistics experienced less friction during the second quarter compared to prior years. Port operations showed material improvement at the Port of Durban and Eastern Cape ports, though the Port of Cape Town continued to present operational hurdles for agricultural exporters.
Import Trends and Overall Trade Balance
On the import side, South Africa brought in US$2.0 billion worth of agricultural products during the second quarter, marking a 12% increase year-over-year. For the first half of 2026, cumulative agricultural imports reached US$3.9 billion, up 5% from the first half of 2025. The inbound shipments primarily comprised wheat, palm oil, poultry, and whisky.
South Africa relies on foreign suppliers for products unsuited to its local climate, such as rice and palm oil. The country also imports roughly half of its annual wheat consumption, weighed down by declining production in provinces like the Free State due to adverse weather and low crop profitability. Imports also account for about 20% of domestic poultry consumption. Accounting for both outbound sales and inbound purchases, the agricultural sector recorded a trade surplus for the quarter.
Integrating One Health into Regional Food Systems
While commercial exporters navigate shifting international tariffs, a broader regional project is examining how southern African food systems can adapt to environmental and economic pressures.
Researchers developed representative food system pathways looking ahead to 2050.
- Market-oriented commercialisation
- Nutrition- and demand-driven dietary change
- Landscape-scale farming system shifts
- Equity- and aspirations-driven community pathways
“Sustainably transforming food systems requires recognising the complexity and interconnectedness of human, animal, plant and environmental health.”
Luuk Fleskens, associate professor at Wageningen University & Research
The project generated practical outputs for policymakers, including guidance on women’s participation in agricultural exports, training programs for intercropping and pesticide management, and interactive mapping tools designed to help governments evaluate agricultural investments and manage compliance with food safety standards.
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