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South Africa’s agricultural sector is showing an uneven recovery in 2025. While field crops, fruits, and vegetables are thriving thanks to favourable rains, the livestock industry continues to face setbacks due to ongoing animal diseases.
According to the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), the latest data highlights mixed fortunes for farmers.
“There is a robust recovery in field crops, vegetables, and fruits, thanks to good rains, but the livestock industry continues to struggle with animal diseases,” said Wandile Sihlobo, Agbiz chief economist.
The livestock sector remains under pressure from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and outbreaks of avian influenza. South Africa began its FMD vaccination campaign in late June 2025 after vaccines arrived, but uncertainty about supply, distribution, and long-term control remains.
“FMD is an economic disease that affects production and profitability. While meat remains safe to consume, higher prices are unavoidable,” explained Dawee Maree, head of agriculture information and marketing at FNB South Africa.
Francois Rossouw, CEO of the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), warned that the full extent of the FMD outbreak is unclear, with ongoing cases in KwaZulu-Natal and new detections in the Free State. The government, working through Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), has rolled out vaccines in stages, but questions remain about supply sustainability and operational capacity.
In contrast, South Africa’s crop and horticulture sector continues to deliver strong results. Stats SA figures show that agriculture’s gross value added rose 2.5% in Q2 2025, following a remarkable 18.6% surge in Q1.
Delays in the summer grain harvest softened the second-quarter results, but overall production remains impressive. Total summer grains and oilseeds are estimated at 19.55 million tonnes, a 26% increase year-on-year.
“Harvest delays caused by prolonged summer rains shifted much of the momentum to Q3,” noted Sihlobo.
Despite livestock challenges and seasonal volatility, sector sentiment remains positive. The Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) dipped slightly, falling 2 points to 63 in Q3 2025. However, this still signals an optimistic outlook for the country’s agribusiness sector.
Sihlobo added:
“Although confidence has softened in recent months, South African agribusinesses remain optimistic about overall business conditions.”
South Africa’s agriculture in 2025 reflects a tale of two sectors:
Going forward, effective biosecurity, sustained FMD vaccination, and continued support for livestock producers will be critical to balance the country’s agricultural recovery.
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