The Agricultural Business Chamber (AgBiz) and chief economist Wandile Sihlobo say South Africa is entering the 2025–26 summer planting season: “In another year of La Niña, a weather phenomenon that typically brings above-normal rainfall in much of the country and the Southern Africa region.”

Sihlobo notes that the 2024–25 La Niña season delivered positive outcomes.

He said: “The 2024–25 season was another La Niña season, and with its heavy rains, we experienced challenges in various areas of the country. Still, the overall picture was positive. We managed to get an excellent fruit and vegetable harvest. The sugar cane production recovered, and the grains and oilseeds production was also robust.”

Sihlobo addressed concerns about flooding: “Indeed, there will likely be heavy rains, but I don’t believe they are severe enough to warrant concern about the agricultural outlook for the 2025–26 season. We remain broadly optimistic about the season ahead.”

He also pointed to early land preparation: “In fact, the farmers are also as optimistic and have started preparing the land in the eastern regions of the country. Over the past two weeks, we observed activity in some areas of Gauteng, the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape. These are mainly yellow maize and soybean growing regions, crops that are key to the livestock industry.”

Sihlobo also said his planting expectations were positive. He said: “Our general view is that plantings will be robust and aligned with the previous season, at about 4.5 million hectares.”