By Wandile Sihlobo
From the outset of the 2024–25 season, it was clear that South Africa would remain a net exporter of maize, with early indicators pointing to a strong crop. That expectation has now been confirmed. The season has delivered an ample harvest of 16.44 million tonnes, a 28 percent increase year-on-year and the second-largest maize crop ever recorded. On the back of this performance, export projections have been revised upward.South Africa is now expected to export 2.4 million tonnes of maize in the 2025–26 marketing year, which runs until April 2026 and corresponds with the 2024–25 production season. This marks a slight increase from the previous forecast of 2.2 million tonnes, though it remains below the 2.8 million tonnes exported in the prior marketing year.
Already, about half of the projected 2.4 million tonnes has been shipped, with further exports anticipated in the first quarter of 2026. The bulk of these shipments are destined for Southern African markets and the Far East. Of the total exports, approximately 1.4 million tonnes will be white maize and 1 million tonnes yellow maize.
Attention is now shifting to the 2025–26 production season, which will underpin the 2026–27 marketing year. Planting is underway, though excessive rainfall has posed challenges in some regions, slowing progress and affecting seed germination. Despite these difficulties, optimism remains high for the new crop.
The robust harvest of 2024–25 ensures that South Africa will continue to play a significant role in regional maize supply. Export momentum is expected to build in early 2026, with Zimbabwe likely to remain a leading buyer, having already dominated import volumes this season.
