South African Sugar Association

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

Africa Day. One continent. Many hands. One harvest. Today we pause to celebrate what unites us — not just as South Afric...
25/05/2026

Africa Day. One continent. Many hands. One harvest.

Today we pause to celebrate what unites us — not just as South Africans, but as Africans.

From the cane fields of KwaZulu-Natal to the sugar estates of Mozambique, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, millions of hands across this continent tend, cut, and carry the same crop. Different languages. Different soils. Different stories — but the same sweat, and the same sunrise.

Africa’s diversity is not a challenge to be managed. It is a resource to be harvested.

The South African sugar industry stands on the shoulders of communities from across this continent — and on a history that reminds us that when Africa works together, it produces something worth celebrating.

On this Africa Day, we honour every farmer, cutter, miller, and worker who brings sweetness to the world. You are the industry. You are Africa.

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South Africa’s sugar industry continues to face mounting pressure as rising production costs, global market volatility, ...
22/05/2026

South Africa’s sugar industry continues to face mounting pressure as rising production costs, global market volatility, and low-cost sugar imports threaten the sustainability of local producers and rural communities.

The South African Sugar Association (SASA) is calling for an urgent adjustment to the Dollar-Based Reference Price (DBRP), highlighting the need for a fair and balanced trade environment that protects jobs, strengthens food security, and supports the long-term resilience of the industry.

With the current reference price unchanged since 2018, the industry argues that the benchmark no longer reflects the realities of increased fuel, electricity, transport, fertiliser, labour, and finance costs faced by producers today.

Updating the DBRP is seen as a foundational step in supporting the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan to 2030 and enabling a transformed, resilient, and diversified sugar sector for South Africa.

The January–May 2026 edition of the SA Sugar Journal highlights key developments shaping the sustainability and future g...
19/05/2026

The January–May 2026 edition of the SA Sugar Journal highlights key developments shaping the sustainability and future growth of the South African sugar industry.

This edition covers the implementation of Phase 2 of the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan to 2030, ongoing industry-government collaboration, diversification opportunities, trade protection, sustainability initiatives, and community support programmes aimed at strengthening the sector and safeguarding rural livelihoods.

Read the full digital edition here:
https://heyzine.com/flip-book/37a6126fd2.html

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.

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