South African Sugar Association

South African Sugar Association The sugar industry makes a positive difference to the lives of more than a million people

30/04/2026

On World Safety and Health Day at Work, we highlight the psychosocial pressures faced in health and safety roles.

From managing people to enforcing compliance, the responsibility is constant.

Watch to understand how these pressures show up and how to manage them effectively.

11/04/2026

Yesterday marked the official signing of Phase 2 of the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan 2030 at KwaShukela in Durban, bringing together government, industry leaders, and key stakeholders committed to shaping the future of the sector.

From strengthening diversification to securing jobs and supporting small-scale growers, this next phase sets the tone for a more resilient, innovative, and inclusive sugar industry.

Here’s a recap of the key moments that are driving the industry forward.

Today, stakeholders across government, industry, and labour came together in Durban for the signing of Phase 2 of the Su...
10/04/2026

Today, stakeholders across government, industry, and labour came together in Durban for the signing of Phase 2 of the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan to 2030.

This next phase sets a clear path toward diversification, improved efficiency, and long-term sustainability, while protecting jobs and strengthening the role of small-scale growers at the heart of the industry.

With a strong focus on innovation, investment, and collaboration, the plan positions sugarcane as a driver of future economic growth and new opportunities across the value chain.

The signing of Phase 2 of the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan 2030 took place at KwaShukela in Durban, bringing togeth...
10/04/2026

The signing of Phase 2 of the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan 2030 took place at KwaShukela in Durban, bringing together government, industry leaders, growers, and key stakeholders aligned on the future of the sector.

This next phase focuses on strengthening the local market, driving diversification within the value chain, and reinforcing measures that protect the industry from external pressures. It reflects a collective commitment to safeguarding jobs, supporting small-scale growers, and sustaining rural livelihoods across KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.

As the industry prepares for the upcoming crushing season, this moment signals renewed momentum and a unified approach to long-term growth and resilience.

South Africa’s sugar industry is under growing pressure, and the consequences are already unfolding across rural communi...
31/03/2026

South Africa’s sugar industry is under growing pressure, and the consequences are already unfolding across rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.

A sharp surge in cheap, subsidised imports is pushing locally produced sugar out of the market, placing jobs at risk and threatening the livelihoods of nearly a million people across the two provinces.

“Without urgent intervention to restore adequate protection and reinforce local market demand, the continued influx of imports could inflict irreversible damage on one of South Africa’s strategic and labour-intensive agro-industries," warned SASA Executive Director Sifiso Mhlaba.

Despite being a surplus-producing country, South Africa has already lost over R1.4 billion this season (2025/2026) due to imports. For every tonne that enters the country, local producers lose around R7,500, cutting deep into already strained margins and weakening the entire value chain.

From small-scale growers to large commercial farmers and millers, the impact is felt across the board. Reduced income means fewer jobs, less community support, and increasing pressure on rural economies that depend heavily on sugar production to survive.

Without decisive action, the ripple effects could extend beyond agriculture, affecting entire towns, local businesses, and the broader economic stability of key regions.

This is about protecting jobs.
This is about sustaining communities.
This is about backing local industry before it’s too late.

Read more here : https://agriorbit.com/imports-surge-threaten-sugar-industry/

Dumped imports are devastating South Africa's most vulnerable rural communitiesOver one million livelihoods are tied to ...
24/03/2026

Dumped imports are devastating South Africa's most vulnerable rural communities

Over one million livelihoods are tied to South Africa's sugar industry, which contributes R24 billion to the economy annually.
Right now, that industry is under serious threat from two converging forces: subsidised imports flooding the market and the unintended consequences of the Health Promotion Levy (HPL).

The result: lost income, displaced local production and rising pressure on vulnerable communities.

Local growers cannot compete on unfair terms — the devastating effects are already visible in farms, mills and rural towns.
Since April 2025, sugar imports surged by 160%.
Protecting the sugar industry is not nostalgia. It is sound economic strategy.

The import crisis did not emerge in isolation.
The 2018 HPL has been linked by industry to a large drop in domestic sugar sales.

A NEDLAC study showed:
• Revenue losses of more than one billion rand a year
• 16,000 job losses across the sugar and beverage value chain
• At the same time, competitive pressure from imports intensified.

The South African Sugar Association (SASA) is calling for policy coherence — not a bailout:
• Adjust tariff protection
• Hold the HPL moratorium until 2030
• Support the transition to a diversified sugarcane bioeconomy

Around 25,000 small-scale farmers face a worsening price squeeze, with no easy off-ramp. The human cost is visible in communities where mill closures have hollowed out towns that once thrived on the back of the cane fields.

Protecting South Africa's last labour-intensive agro-industrial anchors is not sentiment — it is economic strategy.

The choice is clear: act now or watch a million livelihoods unravel — one tonne of imported sugar at a time.

Yesterday, leaders from South Africa’s sugar industry convened with Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau, ...
03/03/2026

Yesterday, leaders from South Africa’s sugar industry convened with Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau, Deputy Minister Zuko Godlimpi, KZN Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Reverend Musa Zondi, Director-General Simphiwe Hamilton and ITAC Chief Commissioner Ayabonga Cawe to address the pressing challenges confronting the sector.

Discussions centred on the Tongaat Hulett Limited crisis, practical solutions to secure the long-term sustainability of the sugar industry, a vital economic pillar for rural communities across KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.

Protecting local industry means safeguarding jobs, growers and the communities that depend on them.

The sugar industry remains a cornerstone of rural economies in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, sustaining small-scale growers, farm workers, transporters and downstream industries. Ensuring its stability means securing livelihoods, enabling inclusive growth and preserving the socio-economic fabric of these communities.

Collaboration between government and industry continues as stakeholders work toward sustainable, long-term solutions that strengthen local production and advance South Africa’s industrial resilience.

Policy certainty strengthens confidence across the sugar value chain by enabling growers and millers to plan ahead, make...
23/02/2026

Policy certainty strengthens confidence across the sugar value chain by enabling growers and millers to plan ahead, make informed investments, and sustain employment in rural economies that depend on stable production.

In 2018, the South African sugar industry came together to warn against the damage caused by cheap sugar imports floodin...
30/01/2026

In 2018, the South African sugar industry came together to warn against the damage caused by cheap sugar imports flooding the local market. Those warnings remain relevant today. Once again, imported sugar priced below fair market value threatens local growers, millers, and the thousands of jobs that depend on the industry.

When imports rise unchecked, rural economies suffer, livelihoods are lost, and communities are pushed further into uncertainty. Increasing the sugar import tariff to adequate levels is a necessary step to stem the current import surge, protect local production, and safeguard food security. The lessons from 2018 are clear, and decisive action is needed now to prevent further harm to the local sugar value chain.

“We’ve been told that more imported sugar can be expected in the next three months. Our industry has already suffered si...
28/01/2026

“We’ve been told that more imported sugar can be expected in the next three months. Our industry has already suffered significant damage from sugar imports since we submitted our initial application to ITAC in October 2024. We are hoping for a swift resolution to ITAC’s investigation and decision.

"We also remain committed to the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan, which recognises the need for strategic trade protection to safeguard the local market from dumped sugar and support the long-term sustainability of the value chain.”

Sifiso Mhlaba, Executive Director, South African Sugar Association

The South African Sugar Association has applied to the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa to raise the dollar-based reference price on imported sugar, in response to the continued influx of subsidised imports, which have a detrimental impact on local growers and millers.

🔗 Read more here: [https://www.africanfarming.com/2026/01/25/itac-to-investigate-dissent-on-tariff-on-imported-sugar

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