South Africa -Weeklikse Landbou Nuusoorsig - Weekly Agriculture News Summary 30 September 2026

Meaningful agricultural transformation needs more than unlocking land, it requires small-scale farms to become commercially successful within a policy framework that helps the sector and the country thrive.That was the view shared at the Hortgro Technical Symposium following the release of The Uncomfortable Truth About South Africas Agricultural Sector in 2025.

South African farmers, particularly black commercial farmers who relied on the Land Bank’s blended finance scheme, face serious difficulties at a critical point in the farming cycle after the bank temporarily suspended the scheme for the rest of the financial year.

South Africa has entered the 2026/27 production season with a strong El Niño already established in the tropical Pacific. The South African Weather Service confirmed in early September that the event is strong and likely to intensify further during spring, with sea-surface temperatures in the east-central tropical Pacific potentially more than 3 °C above average

New international research finds that trophy hunting in Africa south of the Sahara often has beneficial outcomes for conservation and local communities, but results depend on how hunting is managed and who benefits from the income.The study was published on Wednesday 9 September in Conservation Letters and analysed 89 scientific articles from 13 countries.

Weather and yields used to be the main drivers of farm success, but in 2026 rising input costs are taking centre stage. Behind every operation is a careful balance of energy, labour and input expenses that determines survival, and the current period is shaping up as one of the most complex economic landscapes the sector has faced, with compounding pressures rather than a single isolated factor.

Agri-Hub is transitioning its fruit export industry reporting to a new technology platform designed to increase processing capacity and enable additional information services.

For many South African grain producers the 2026/27 summer production plan is already in place, with hectares allocated, cultivars chosen, input budgets prepared and planting windows identified.

At a Nedbank-hosted media event at NAMPO Cape, stakeholders from across the agricultural value chain discussed what it will take to move farmers from conventional to regenerative agriculture. The clear message was that if regenerative agriculture is to move from pockets of adoption to scale, the conversation needs to change.

Zimbabwe accounted for 8% of South Africa's total fruit and vegetable exports in 2025, making it one of SA's main agricultural markets.South African agricultural exports to Zimbabwe were valued at US$1.2 billion in 2025, equal to the value shipped to the Middle East and BRICS members.

South Africa's meat sector is a significant part of the agricultural economy. Industry researcher IMARC values the market at $6.5 billion, almost R106 billion today, with a projection to grow to $7.8 billion by 2034. That growth is being driven by urbanisation and rising demand for protein-rich food.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says it is neither responsible nor patriotic to travel abroad and spread the lie of a "white genocide" and thereby discourage investment in South Africa. This comes amid high levels of unemployment and the country's need for economic growth and investment.

Predictions of a “super-El Niño” have sharply lifted grain prices on futures markets, but the recent surge is being driven more by fear and speculation than by hard market fundamentals. Producers and buyers now need to protect margins and make planting decisions that limit risk.

Met die uitdagende omstandighede wat baie Suid-Afrikaanse boere tans ervaar, is deeglike beplanning en begroting belangriker as ooit. Dawie Maree, hoof van inligting en bemarking by FNB, sê boere is reeds kostesensitief en weet hoe om sente te spaar, maar faal dikwels by beplanning.

A full tank of petrol that cost less than R165 in 1996 now costs over R2,000.Stats SA data shows inland 93-octane petrol rose from around R2.06 per litre in 1996 to R26.76 per litre in September 2026, an increase of about R24.70 per litre or 1,199% in nominal terms. An 80-litre tank went from R164.80 to R2,140.80.


Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt said South Africa's central authority under the ANC has been crumbling due to incompetence and corruption, causing power to organically fracture into regions, such as the DA-governed Western Cape and MK in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as into municipalities and community organisations like AfriForum, Solidarity and churches.

Die besluit dat private maatskappye voortaan die Landbounavorsingsraad (LNR) se bek-en-klouseer-entstof onder lisensie mag vervaardig, word verwelkom. Dit is op 22 September aangekondig deur minister van landbou Willie Aucamp, waarvolgens goedgekeurde plaaslike en internasionale maatskappye dit op groot skaal mag doen.

Latest unaudited Central Energy Fund (CEF) data through 24 September points to a R3 per litre petrol increase in October 2026. If adjustments were made today with no slate levy change, inland unleaded 95 would be R29.92 and coastal R29.05, while inland unleaded 93 would be R29.58 and coastal around R28.79

The global fertilizer market remains shaped by ongoing supply constraints, geopolitical risks, and uneven regional demand.Urea prices (both prilled and granular) continue to trend higher. Support comes from restocking in Europe, persistent freight risks through the Strait of Hormuz, and expectations of a new Indian import tender.

American investors and companies have billions of dollars ready to invest in South Africa, but much of this capital remains on the sidelines due to what US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III describes as the government’s hostility toward private business and American investment.In an interview with the SABC, Bozell said South African policies deter capital.

At a panel discussion on El Niño preparedness, concern was raised that while practical steps to improve resilience make sense in theory, many smaller farmers cannot afford them.