Severe weather events across South Africa have once again highlighted the agricultural sector's growing exposure to climate-related risks, according to Santam.
Severe weather events have pushed insured crop losses above R1 billion during the 2025/26 farming season, underscoring the growing financial impact of climate change on South Africa's agricultural sector, according to insurer Santam.
The insurer said farmers are increasingly contending with a combination of destructive weather events, including hail, strong winds, heavy rainfall, flooding and unseasonal conditions, making climate risk a constant operational challenge rather than a seasonal concern.
Hanjo Fourie, business head for underwriting of agri crop at Santam Specialist Solutions, said the nature of agricultural risk has changed significantly in recent years.
“During the 2025/26 season alone, Santam recorded insured crop losses exceeding R1bn, reflecting one of the most active claims environments in over a decade,” Fourie said.
