It can be difficult to cut through the noise and understand what Brexit really means for South Africa. The implications, depending on the outcome, will be far-reaching, but it is clear, the export of goods will be one of the areas most tangibly affected.

If we do not write about South Africa’s first quarter of 2019 agricultural trade figures, one would assume that there have been limited positive developments in this sector as the past few months have been clouded by unwelcoming news.

The world is currently facing a crisis of unpredictable magnitude, and South Africa is no exception.

From Angola to Zimbabwe, Southern Africa’s fragile economies are rattled by the coronavirus pandemic.

The combination of a large harvest, joint efforts between the government and the private sector to keep agriculture operational since the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown, and long-term export market development efforts continue to pay off for SA’s agricultural sector.

These products will continue to support SA’s agricultural exports in the final quarter of 2020.

South African companies are missing out on R350-billion a year in export opportunities to the European Union (EU), new research shows.

International trade has been at the core of South Africa’s agricultural progress since the early 2000s. Since 1994, the country has excelled in opening up new markets, as evidenced by several free trade agreements with critical regional and international markets.

International trade has been at the core of South Africa’s agricultural progress since the early 2000s.

South Africa’s agricultural trade data paint an encouraging picture, though the sector continues to struggle with poor roads and inefficiencies in rail and ports.

The raw numbers for July beef exports are impressive. Total beef exports of 150,435 tonnes, an increase of 12% on the June record, and 16% on last July. Before 2025, the next closest month for beef exports was 130,048 tonnes in October last year, before that it was 122,456 in October 2014.

In a year where trade continues to dominate headlines after the U.S. 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.