The South African agriculture sector has, over the past year, seen agricultural exports increase by 3% to reach a record high of $13.7-billion, which has been driven by strong fruit harvests and livestock recovery.

This demonstrates “remarkable resilience”, said industry organisations Wesgro, Fresh Produce Exporters Forum (FPEF) and AgriSA in a press release, which noted that since 2020, the agricultural trade balance has doubled to $6-billion, further reinforcing the sector’s pivotal role in the country’s international trade efforts.

As part of these ongoing trade efforts, Wesgro, FPEF and AgriSA convened last month for an event titled ‘2025 Agricultural Trade & Investment: Charting the Way Forward’.

This event took place against the backdrop of increasing global geopolitical tensions.

Over the past 20 years, fruits and wine have come to dominate the commodity export basket accounting for 33% of total exports value in 2023, said FPEF CEO Anton Kruger. He added that these commodities are also labour intensive, which “underscores their importance for employment opportunities in agriculture”.

Given the South African G20 presidency, discussions at the March event focused on the critical challenges and opportunities for enhanced market access for South African agricultural products and investment.

“We recognise the vital role that agriculture plays in not just our economy, but also in regional food security,” AgriSA CEO Johann Kotze said, adding that, as the industry moves forward, it will continue to embrace sustainability and technology while enhancing market access as “fundamental to long-term success and resilience”.

The event also provided a platform for dialogue on various strategies to overcome tariff and nontariff barriers, while seeking to improve cooperation among industry players.

“We must leverage the G20 presidency to build investment confidence in agriculture and to sustain its vital role in the food system. More than 50% of South African produce is exported through the Western Cape, which highlights the province’s reputation as a regional hub for agricultural trade and investment opportunities,” Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander commented.