South Africa's Wheat Imports Reach Record Levels Amid Global Market Pressures

South Africa has imported significant amounts of wheat from various countries over the past year. Between October 2025 and early September 2026, the country bought around 1.8 million tonnes of wheat, with Poland supplying about 23% of this total.

A significant portion of South Africa's annual wheat consumption comes from imports, accounting for roughly half of its usage. This trend began in the 2003-04 marketing year, when wheat imports surpassed 1 million tonnes per annum.

Before deregulation in the late 1990s, wheat production averaged around 458,518 tonnes between 1989-90 and 2002-03. However, farmers faced profitability challenges due to non-conducive climatic conditions and had to compete globally after deregulation.

The country's major wheat-producing provinces are the Western Cape and the Northern Cape, where irrigation allows for high-quality milling. Despite improved productivity in recent years, with yields increasing from 2 tonnes per hectare in 1997-98 to 3.8 tonnes per hectare in 2024-25, the domestic wheat industry faces strain due to drier weather conditions and higher input costs.