Botswana has ended its restriction on fresh vegetable imports from South Africa due to challenges in meeting local demand with domestic production alone.
The ban, introduced in 2022, was reversed in two stages — the first in December of the previous year and the second in April of this year.
Dipepeneneng Serage, deputy director-general in South Africa’s agriculture department, confirmed the move on Wednesday, stating that trade between the two nations is now open and has improved.
The previous administration, under Mokgweetsi Masisi, had implemented the ban to support local farmers by improving farmers’ access to the domestic market.
In December, restrictions on importing turmeric, patty pans, pumpkin, green peas, mushrooms, and eggplants were removed. Starting this month, South Africa is also permitted to export beetroot, butternut, cabbage, carrots, garlic, ginger, green melons, herbs, lettuce, onions, potatoes, sweet peppers, tomatoes, and watermelons to Botswana.
The complete removal of the ban will now provide considerable advantages to South African farmers, particularly those in North West, Limpopo, and Gauteng. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), emphasized the potential for the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) to strengthen regional collaboration and address trade imbalances.
Last year, the SACU region accounted for approximately 19% of South Africa’s agricultural exports, equaling the export value to the European Union, according to Agbiz data. Additionally, over the past five years, 11% of South Africa’s agricultural imports came from the SACU region.
Mmatlou Kalaba, a senior analyst at the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP), described the lifting of Botswana’s ban as a modest relief for South Africa. The decision comes as the agriculture sector faces immense challenges following U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of a 31% tariff on South African imports.
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