Encouragingly, the start of the year has remained positive for the sector. After solid export activity in the first quarter of the year, South Africa's agricultural exports were up 10% from the same period a year ago. And while there remains a need for further improvement in the efficiency of the ports, there has been a material improvement compared with recent years.

In a year where trade continues to dominate headlines after the US started imposing higher tariffs against its trading partners, we take a look at South Africa's recent agricultural exports data to gauge the early impact of the changing trade environment.

Encouragingly, the start of the year has remained positive for the sector. After solid export activity in the first quarter of the year, South Africa's agricultural exports totalled $3.71-billion in Q2, up 10% from the same period a year ago. This is again a function of both higher volumes of various product exports and better commodity prices.

The products that dominated the exports list in the second quarter of the year were mainly citrus, apples and pears, maize, wine, nuts, fruit juices, dates, pineapples, avocados, grapes and wool, among other products. While there remains a need for further improvement in the efficiency of the ports, there has been a material improvement compared with recent years. Agricultural export activity in the second quarter experienced less friction than in the recent past.

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From a regional perspective, the African continent maintained the lion's share of South Africa's agricultural exports in the second quarter of 2025, accounting for 40% of the total value....