April 2026

13 April 2026 – The Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) has warned that restrictions on exports to the  Southern African Customs Union (SACU) partners will negatively impact the South African agriculture sector. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, said on Tuesday that Namibia, Botswana, and Mozambique were among the few countries that have recently introduced restrictions on South African agricultural exports. […]

10 April 2026 – Agriculture is leading the growth in South African exports. While traditional mineral and vehicle exports have been declining over the past five years (2021-2025), agricultural exports have been increasing. According to Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, agriculture in the fourth quarter of 2025 accounted for 46% of SA export value, at

9 April 2026 – The Middle East conflict has added a new layer of shocks to an already fragile environment shaped by tariffs, weakening demand and declining consumer confidence. In their global trade survey report, Allianz trade says they expect lower global GDP growth (+2.6% in 2026), higher global inflation (4.3% in 2026) and stronger

8 April 2026 – Liquidations in South Africa rose sharply in February 2026, rising 40% month-on-month, with warnings that worse may lie ahead. According to the latest liquidation statistics from Stats SA, the country recorded 135 closures in February 2026, up from 96 in the first month of the year. Year-on-year, liquidations were down 3.6%

7 April 2026 – Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are beginning to ripple across African economies, threatening fertiliser supplies, industrial inputs and trade flows while increasing freight costs and financial pressure on several countries. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are significantly affecting African economies by reducing the flow of fertilisers, industrial

2 April 2026 – South African citrus exports are set for moderate growth in the 2026 season, according to the latest forecast released by the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA). CGA data projects that the country will export a total volume of between 210m and 215m 15kg cartons across all varieties. This represents

1 April 2026 – South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R36.9 billion in February 2026. This surplus was attributable to exports of R168.1 billion and imports of R131.2 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN). The year-to-date (01 January to 28 February 2026) preliminary trade balance surplus of