Media Release
February 10, 2026
During the 2021 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a move welcomed at the time, promised to support the local sugar industry through a commitment to local procurement. Five years later, the 27,000 small-scale and 1,100 large-scale sugarcane growers in South Africa call on the president to recommit to his promise and to provide an update on how much local sugar has been procured. The industry requires all the support possible, given that it faces collapse due to a combination of unprecedented threats.
Since the president’s commitment in 2021, the situation has only worsened for sugarcane growers. Imported sugar from countries with unfair trade practices is displacing locally grown sugar at unprecedented levels, and the sugar tax has led to over 16 000 job losses. Additionally, massive increases in electricity prices are straining growers’ ability to irrigate, and the resolution of the Tongaat Hulett business rescue process keeps being delayed through court action.
Honouring the President’s commitment to local procurement of sugar would send a powerful signal that the government remains serious about supporting South African jobs and rural development.
SA Canegrowers’ analysis of South African Revenue Service data shows that 163,379 tons of imported sugar entered South African borders between April and December 2025. For the same period in 2024, the tonnage was at half of this, and even then, it was multiple times higher than other recent years. Concerningly, in December alone 20,000 tons entered South Africa from Brazil, India and Thailand due to South Africa’s weak import protections – equal to the full year of imports only a few years ago.
This surge of imported sugar displaces locally grown and refined sugar from retail shelves and food and beverage manufacturers, and local growers earn less for their sugar.
Local procurement commitments exist precisely to prevent this outcome. They are intended to ensure that domestic industries are not undermined by unfair trade practices or policy misalignment, particularly where those industries deliver clear public value in the form of employment, food security, and rural development.
The sugar industry is unique within South African agriculture. It is one of the few sectors where small-scale and large-scale growers are equally recognised as commercial producers, operating within a regulated and integrated value chain where industry agreements ensure equitable payments for small-scale and large-scale growers, and millers. The sector is a proven model for inclusive agricultural development.
The sugar industry stands ready to work with the government to address legitimate public health concerns, improve competitiveness, and secure the long-term sustainability of the sector. But this requires a policy environment that is coherent, fair, and true to the commitments already made, including those by President Ramaphosa.
We therefore urge the President to ensure his commitment to local procurement is not only reaffirmed, but meaningfully implemented, before irreversible damage is done to this vital rural industry.
ENDS
For media enquiries:
Gerhard Mulder
gerhard@resolvecommunications.co.za
083 305 9361