At a time when strengthening ties with other countries is so important, I was happy to see the South Africa–European Union (SA-EU) Bilateral Summit proceed smoothly on October 20, 2025, ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit.
The emphasis was on continuous cooperation, investment and deepening trade. Various agreements and MoUs have been signed, including those on critical minerals and energy. For us in agriculture, deepening relations with the EU is key to our long-term, continuous trade in this fractured world.
While we have had glitches on various occasions on citrus, poultry and beverages, the EU remains one of South African agriculture’s critical trading partners. The SA-EU Summit and the engagement that will follow allow for much greater flexibility to resolve existing challenges and build stronger relations.
I am sounding this upbeat because in 2024, the EU was South Africa’s third-largest agricultural market, accounting for 19% of our US$13.7 billion in exports. Citrus, grapes, wines, dates, avocados, pineapples, fruit juices, apples and pears, berries, apricots and cherries, nuts, and wool were amongst the top agricultural products South Africa exported to the EU.
Now, over the past few weeks and months, some have seen us talk about BRICS, greater Asia, and the Middle East, and have consistently suggested that South Africa should pivot to those regions and deprioritise other traditional and longstanding partners.
But that is not our approach. The approach is to build new friendships and trade relations, while maintaining and nurturing the existing ones. This SA-EU Summit is one such step in cultivating the existing ties.
Remember, South Africa’s agriculture still has significant potential for expansion, with over 2.5 million hectares of land yet to be fully brought into production. When such land is in production, we will require a market for exports, which makes the EU and our efforts in the East so important.
South Africa’s agriculture is export-oriented, and already exports roughly half of what we produce in value terms. Therefore, any increase in production will likely be aimed at exporting to sustain a viable farming economy.
I highlight agriculture here, but the EU is key to many other sectors of our economy.
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