AgriSA's latest Quarterly Trade Report which analyses agricultural and agro-processed products released on Monday indicated that South Africa's agricultural sector recorded a trade surplus of $1.55 billion (R24.7 billion) in the first quarter of 2026.
South Africa’s agricultural sector recorded a record trade surplus of $1.55 billion (R24.7 billion) in the first quarter of 2026, marking the highest first-quarter surplus in the country’s agricultural trade history, according to AgriSA’s latest Quarterly Trade Report.
The report, released on Monday, shows that the surplus was 16.1% higher than the corresponding period in 2025.
Total agricultural exports reached $3.30bn (R49bn), remaining broadly unchanged from a year earlier, while imports declined by 10.6% to $1.76 billion (R28bn), significantly improving the trade balance.
However, AgriSA cautioned that the record surplus was largely driven by lower import costs rather than strong export growth, highlighting the need to sustain efforts aimed at expanding export markets and increasing sales abroad.
