Chief Economist at the Agriculture Business Chamber Wandile Sihlobo says the upcoming planting season promises to be favourable with above normal rainfall and promises of a good crop harvest.

The planting season for summer crops in South Africa begins in October. Farmers are expected to begin to prepare the land for the 2025-2026 planting season.

Sihlobo says the planting season is starting for farmers in the Eastern parts of South Africa who mainly grow yellow maize and soya beans.

From mid-November, farmers in the Western parts of the country will start planting crops, including white maize and sunflowers.

Sihlobo breaks down the positive outlook. “So when we look at the Agbiz IDC agri-business confidence index, which is the sentiment indicator in the sector also remains fairly robust.  What we take from this is that SA will have another good agricultural season, both in terms of summer grains and oil seeds, but also generally overall in agriculture, so we are looking to have another year of growth, and that we will receive these summer rainfalls to assist.  The only sub-sector that continues to be challenged is the livestock industry, and the challenge there is the animal disease, the foot and mouth disease.”

South Africa is set to have a record canola harvest in the 2025-26 season

Link: https://t.co/OfVBNj1rzF pic.twitter.com/5igKEzPTi0

— Wandile Sihlobo (@WandileSihlobo) October 6, 2025