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The South African retail food market is highly concentrated among the five largest companies, including Shoprite Holdings Ltd, Pick n Pay Retailers Pty Ltd, Spar Group Ltd, Massmart (Walmart-owned), and Woolworths Holdings Ltd.

South African production of oranges and lemons is projected to decrease in MY 2022/23 due to stagnated production area and a return to normal yield.

U.S. exports of consumer-oriented food products to Saudi Arabia increased 23 percent over 2021 to a record $656 million mainly due to the continued expansion in online shopping platforms.

The production of apples, pears and table grapes is estimated to decrease slightly in the 2022/23 Marketing Year (MY), based largely on stagnated production area and a return to normal yields following record production for all three commodities.

South Africa’s food inflation rate surged to a 14-year high in March 2023, a departure from global easing of food prices.

The South African Agricultural Economic Fact Sheet has been updated to include calendar year 2022.

Post forecasts South Africa’s sugar cane crop will increase by 3 percent to 18.5 million metric tons (MT) in market year (MY) 2023/24 assuming a return to normal weather conditions, an improvement in yields, and industry efforts to increase production, especially for small-scale farmers.

The March 2023 Essential Food Price Monitoring Report published by South Africa’s Competition Commission provided a deep dive into the poultry value chain.

South Africa has experienced an upsurge in oilseed plantings over the past 20 years with a near nine-fold expansion in soybean area. Post foresees that the positive trend in soybean plantings will continue in marketing year 2023/24 with area and oilseed production reaching historically high level of 1.8 million hectares and 3.6 million metric tons, respectively.

Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the Arab world and home to a growing food manufacturing and processing sector. Total investments in the sector are projected to reach $70 billion in 2030, an increase of approximately 59% over total investments in 2016.

South Africa is on course to produce a fourth consecutive bumper corn crop in MY 2022/23, which creates a bearish outlook on local corn prices and will limit growth in the area to be planted with corn in MY2023/24.

This report provides more information on the South African food processing sector, including strategies for U.S. exporters interested in entering the market.