We continue to observe maize exports from South Africa to the Southern African region, but the volumes remain much smaller than I anticipated. The stocks are low in Zimbabwe, and I thought they would be buying large volumes of maize by now. Perhaps we are yet to see such imports.

We currently have modest exports from South Africa to the region. For example, South Africa exported 42,931 tonnes of maize last week, with approximately 56% going to Zimbabwe, and the remainder to other countries in the Southern African region.

This placed South Africa’s 2025-26 maize exports at 1.42 million tonnes, out of the expected seasonal exports of 2.40 million tonnes.

The current marketing year only ends in April 2026. We expect more robust export activity this quarter, driven by stronger demand in the Southern African region. To meet the expected exports, South Africa must export 1 million tonnes of maize within the next three months.

The ample maize supplies in South Africa, combined with the slow export activity, have added downward pressure on prices. South Africa’s white and yellow maize prices are currently down by over 30% from a year ago.

While South Africa has an ample harvest and will remain a net exporter of maize, minor imports of yellow maize from Argentina are expected to continue for South Africa’s coastal regions.

For example, so far in the 2025-26 marketing year, South Africa has imported 110,447 tonnes of yellow maize for feed in the country’s coastal regions. These importers primarily benefit from the low prices of Argentinian supplies.

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