A Profile of the South African Beef Market Value Chain

The South African beef industry is characterized by a split between commercial and communal production, with a supply chain that is largely vertically integrated. While South Africa is a net importer of beef, imports decreased by 36% between 2012 and 2013, increasing self-sufficiency. Key export markets include Mozambique and Europe, with high growth potential identified in Kuwait, the UAE, and the Seychelles, while Australia remains the primary source of imports.

• South African cattle production is divided between approximately 50,000 commercial farmers, who produce 60% of the cattle, and a combination of 240,000 emerging and 3 million communal farmers who produce the remaining 40%.
• South Africa is a net importer of beef, importing 7 million kilograms and exporting 4.4 million kilograms, with per capita consumption at approximately 15.70 kg across 48.6 million consumers.
• In 2013, Australia was the primary source of beef imports at 64%, while Africa was the top export destination, with Mozambique accounting for 46% of those exports.
• Beef imports fell by 36% from 2012 to 2013, a trend attributed to the Global Economic Downturn and a Foot in Mouth Disease outbreak.
• High growth in demand for South African beef is seen in Kuwait (294% annual growth) and the UAE (194% annual growth), while the Seychelles is identified as the most lucrative market due to ease of penetration.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2016). A Profile of the South African Beef Market Value Chain. https://saiia.org.za/saiia-toolkit/a-profile-of-the-south-african-beef-market-value-chain/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. A Profile of the South African Beef Market Value Chain. 2016. https://saiia.org.za/saiia-toolkit/a-profile-of-the-south-african-beef-market-value-chain/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=A Profile of the South African Beef Market Value Chain |date=2 June 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/saiia-toolkit/a-profile-of-the-south-african-beef-market-value-chain/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2016profile, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{A Profile of the South African Beef Market Value Chain}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/saiia-toolkit/a-profile-of-the-south-african-beef-market-value-chain/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }