Sector footprint
$372.1M in exports
Reported agriculture and food exports in 2024 across 43 qualifying HS6 products.
Sector export playbook ยท HS 01-24
South Africa Agriculture and food exports
where capability meets demand
Explore South Africa's HS 01-24 product portfolio, buyer markets, growth signals, and diversification opportunities. Use this guide to prioritize research, not to treat calculated indicators as guaranteed sales.
Sector exports$372.1M2024 reported value
Products43Qualifying HS6 products
Buyer markets20Markets represented
Average CAGR+131.7%Product-level growth signal
Global sector size$243.0BReported buyer imports
Agriculture and food capability
How strong is South Africa in this sector?
Compare exporter scale with product breadth, buyer demand, growth, and destination reach. A large sector does not remove the need for product, compliance, pricing, and buyer validation.
Global demand
$243.0B buyer imports
The sector's reported buyer import base provides context for product and market prioritization.
How to use the guide
Find the next credible move
Start with products that combine demand and exporter capability, then validate standards, route economics, buyers, and competition.
Product portfolio
Which products anchor the sector?
Each HS6 product is ranked by calculated opportunity and shown with reported market size, exporter exports, growth, and destination reach.
| Product | Global size | Your exports | Opportunity | CAGR | Markets | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HS 120190Soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken | $56.9B | $90.4M | $73.9B | +31.8% | 5 | +0.5% |
| HS 100590Cereals: maize (corn), other than seed | $16.6B | $159.4M | $16.9B | +10.6% | 5 | +0.8% |
| HS 020230Meat: of bovine animals, boneless cuts, frozen | $15.5B | $15.1M | $13.4B | +67.6% | 2 | +0.1% |
| HS 170114Sugars: cane sugar, raw, in solid form, other than as specified in Subheading Note 2 to this chapter, not containing added flavouring or colouring matter | $8.5B | $37.4M | $10.8B | +1331.6% | 6 | +1.0% |
| HS 210690Food preparations: n.e.s. in item no. 2106.10 | $14.5B | $1.8M | $7.7B | +10.3% | 3 | +0.0% |
| HS 220300Beer: made from malt | $7.6B | $28.2K | $7.6B | +2.3% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 190590Food preparations: bakers' wares n.e.c. in heading no. 1605, whether or not containing cocoa: communion wafers, empty cachets suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, rice papers and similar products | $9.1B | $526.2K | $7.2B | +7.9% | 2 | +0.0% |
| HS 220890Spirits, liqueurs and other spirituous beverages: n.e.c. in heading no. 2208 | $4.9B | $101.4K | $6.6B | -2.4% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 030617Crustaceans: frozen, shrimps and prawns, excluding cold-water varieties, in shell or not, smoked, cooked or not before or during smoking: in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water | $9.1B | $61.1K | $6.2B | +10.2% | 2 | +0.0% |
| HS 080440Fruit, edible: avocados, fresh or dried | $3.7B | $35.3K | $5.9B | -0.7% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 151110Vegetable oils: palm oil and its fractions, crude, not chemically modified | $5.7B | $388.6K | $4.5B | +16.4% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 240220Cigarettes: containing tobacco | $4.4B | $14.2K | $4.4B | -21.5% | 2 | +0.0% |
| HS 020130Meat: of bovine animals, boneless cuts, fresh or chilled | $5.8B | $2.0K | $4.3B | +23.8% | 2 | +0.0% |
| HS 150710Vegetable oils: soya-bean oil and its fractions, crude, whether or not degummed, not chemically modified | $3.9B | $1.5M | $4.3B | +7.9% | 1 | +0.1% |
| HS 090111Coffee: not roasted or decaffeinated | $10.3B | $144.1K | $4.0B | -0.9% | 2 | +0.0% |
| HS 070200Vegetables: tomatoes, fresh or chilled | $3.6B | $126.4 | $3.6B | -18.0% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 151211Vegetable oils: sunflower seed or safflower oil and their fractions, crude, not chemically modified | $3.0B | $93.7 | $2.7B | -33.0% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 190110Food preparations: of flour, meal, starch, malt extract or milk products, for infant use, put up for retail sale | $3.6B | $0.7 | $2.7B | -36.2% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 200410Vegetable preparations: potatoes, prepared or preserved otherwise than by vinegar or acetic acid, frozen | $2.2B | $1.2 | $2.5B | -7.8% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 220720Ethyl alcohol and other spirits: denatured, of any strength | $1.4B | $60.8 | $2.4B | -31.5% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 030633Crustaceans: live, fresh or chilled, crabs, whether in shell or not | $1.7B | $9.1K | $2.1B | +13.1% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 151800Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their fractions: oxidised, boiled or otherwise chemically modified, (excluding those of heading no. 1516), inedible mixtures or preparations of fats or oils | $2.4B | $6.6M | $2.1B | +35.0% | 1 | +0.3% |
| HS 040221Dairy produce: milk and cream, concentrated, not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter, in powder, granules or other solid forms, of a fat content exceeding 1.5% (by weight) | $1.6B | $166.8 | $2.0B | -0.8% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 170290Sugars: n.e.c. in heading no. 1702, including invert sugar and other sugar and sugar syrup blends containing, in the dry state, 50% by weight of fructose | $1.2B | $14.4 | $2.0B | -25.0% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 151190Vegetable oils: palm oil and its fractions, other than crude, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified | $1.6B | $11.9 | $2.0B | +17.6% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 220421Wine: still, in containers holding 2 litres or less | $4.8B | $35.3M | $1.9B | +5.4% | 1 | +0.7% |
| HS 081040Fruit, edible: cranberries, bilberries and other fruits of the genus vaccinium, fresh | $1.9B | $104.6K | $1.8B | +116.7% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 010229Cattle: live, other than pure-bred breeding animals | $2.9B | $20.3 | $1.7B | -15.1% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 230120Flours, meals and pellets: of fish or of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates | $3.0B | $21.2M | $1.7B | +32.7% | 1 | +0.7% |
| HS 080131Nuts, edible: cashew nuts, in shell, fresh or dried | $2.3B | $348.6K | $1.7B | +6.3% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 190531Food preparations: sweet biscuits, whether or not containing cocoa | $2.4B | $116.8K | $1.6B | +11.6% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 150910Vegetable oils: olive oil and its fractions, virgin, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified | $2.6B | $500.7 | $1.6B | +19.2% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 110814Starch: manioc (cassava) | $2.0B | $460.2 | $1.6B | -46.3% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 040690Dairy produce: cheese (not grated, powdered or processed), n.e.c. in heading no. 0406 | $4.4B | $1.9 | $1.6B | -25.6% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 090121Coffee: roasted, not decaffeinated | $2.0B | $22.3K | $1.5B | +5.2% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 220830Whiskies | $2.1B | $307.4K | $1.5B | +30.8% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 230910Dog or cat food: put up for retail sale, used in animal feeding | $1.4B | $0.3 | $1.5B | -45.7% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 170490Sugar confectionery: (excluding chewing gum, including white chocolate), not containing cocoa | $3.2B | $952.6K | $1.5B | +5.0% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 180100Cocoa beans: whole or broken, raw or roasted | $3.7B | $87.0 | $1.4B | -2.7% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 100199Cereals: wheat and meslin, other than durum wheat, other than seed | $1.4B | $5.0 | $1.4B | -16.8% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 180620Chocolate & other food preparations containing cocoa: in blocks, slabs or bars weighing more than 2kg or in liquid, paste, powder, granular or other bulk form in containers or immediate packings, content exceeding 2kg | $1.4B | $54.2K | $1.4B | +10.3% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 220820Spirits obtained by distilling grape wine or grape marc | $1.2B | $112.2K | $1.4B | +1.7% | 1 | +0.0% |
| HS 060290Plants, live: n.e.s. in heading no. 0602 | $1.5B | $36.6K | $1.3B | -4.5% | 1 | +0.0% |
Best markets
Where does sector demand concentrate?
Markets are ranked by calculated opportunity across the qualifying products in this sector view.
CHN
China
11 products represented in the sector.
$93.4B$82.8B reported buyer importsUSA
USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands
22 products represented in the sector.
$63.1B$82.9B reported buyer importsIND
India
4 products represented in the sector.
$13.5B$14.2B reported buyer importsMEX
Mexico
3 products represented in the sector.
$11.5B$10.0B reported buyer importsCAN
Canada
4 products represented in the sector.
$7.6B$6.6B reported buyer importsDEU
Germany
4 products represented in the sector.
$7.5B$13.4B reported buyer importsARG
Argentina
1 products represented in the sector.
$5.3B$3.0B reported buyer importsVNM
Viet Nam
2 products represented in the sector.
$4.3B$5.2B reported buyer importsIDN
Indonesia
2 products represented in the sector.
$3.9B$3.8B reported buyer importsJPN
Japan
1 products represented in the sector.
$2.9B$3.5B reported buyer importsIRN
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
1 products represented in the sector.
$2.1B$3.1B reported buyer importsTHA
Thailand
1 products represented in the sector.
$2.1B$1.8B reported buyer importsGrowth stars
Which products show the strongest growth?
Average product-level CAGR is a screening signal. Confirm the latest trend, base effects, buyer quality, and commercial feasibility before acting.
| Product | Average CAGR | Opportunity | Markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| HS 170114Sugars: cane sugar, raw, in solid form, other than as specified in Subheading Note 2 to this chapter, not containing added flavouring or colouring matter | +1331.6% | $10.8B | 6 |
| HS 081040Fruit, edible: cranberries, bilberries and other fruits of the genus vaccinium, fresh | +116.7% | $1.8B | 1 |
| HS 020230Meat: of bovine animals, boneless cuts, frozen | +67.6% | $13.4B | 2 |
| HS 151800Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their fractions: oxidised, boiled or otherwise chemically modified, (excluding those of heading no. 1516), inedible mixtures or preparations of fats or oils | +35.0% | $2.1B | 1 |
| HS 230120Flours, meals and pellets: of fish or of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates | +32.7% | $1.7B | 1 |
| HS 120190Soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken | +31.8% | $73.9B | 5 |
| HS 220830Whiskies | +30.8% | $1.5B | 1 |
| HS 020130Meat: of bovine animals, boneless cuts, fresh or chilled | +23.8% | $4.3B | 2 |
| HS 150910Vegetable oils: olive oil and its fractions, virgin, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified | +19.2% | $1.6B | 1 |
| HS 151190Vegetable oils: palm oil and its fractions, other than crude, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified | +17.6% | $2.0B | 1 |
Diversification opportunities
Which products reach the widest buyer base?
Destination count is a simple breadth indicator. It does not measure destination concentration or guarantee resilience.
HS 170114
Sugars: cane sugar, raw, in solid form, other than as specified in Subheading Note 2 to this chapter, not containing added flavouring or colouring matter
6 markets$10.8B calculated opportunityHS 120190
Soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken
5 markets$73.9B calculated opportunityHS 100590
Cereals: maize (corn), other than seed
5 markets$16.9B calculated opportunityHS 210690
Food preparations: n.e.s. in item no. 2106.10
3 markets$7.7B calculated opportunityHS 020230
Meat: of bovine animals, boneless cuts, frozen
2 markets$13.4B calculated opportunityHS 190590
Food preparations: bakers' wares n.e.c. in heading no. 1605, whether or not containing cocoa: communion wafers, empty cachets suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, rice papers and similar products
2 markets$7.2B calculated opportunityHS 030617
Crustaceans: frozen, shrimps and prawns, excluding cold-water varieties, in shell or not, smoked, cooked or not before or during smoking: in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water
2 markets$6.2B calculated opportunityHS 240220
Cigarettes: containing tobacco
2 markets$4.4B calculated opportunityFrequently asked questions
Using the Agriculture and food export playbook
Practical guidance for interpreting sector scale, growth, product breadth, and buyer markets.
How strong is South Africa in this sector?
Compare sector exports, product breadth, buyer markets, growth, and global demand. These signals identify research priorities rather than guarantee market access.
What are growth stars?
Products with higher average reported growth in the screened rows. Validate the time period, base effects, buyer demand, and current exporter position.
What does diversification mean here?
Products reaching more buyer markets in the screened data. Destination breadth is useful context but does not replace concentration, route, or buyer analysis.
Data source
OECD trade statistics with CEPII context
OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-30). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.