South Africa’s dairy trade this year continued to be driven by movements into the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), although the latest figures show a gradual shift as exports to non-SACU markets grow faster than regional sales.
This is according to new data released this week by the South African Milk Processors’ Organisation (SAMPRO) in its Industry Information Project report, which is based on Sars import and export data for January to September 2025.
SACU markets accounted for 66.7% of South Africa’s measured cross-border dairy volumes in the period. Total sales to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia reached 99.3 million kg, compared with 49.5 million kg exported to non-SACU countries.
For the same period in 2024, SACU sales were 93.9 million kg, while exports to non-SACU destinations totalled 37.7 million kg, indicating stronger year-on-year growth in markets outside the union.
For three of the six dairy product categories, SACU remained the dominant destination:
- Milk and cream: SACU 70.3 million kg; non-SACU 15.4 million kg
- Buttermilk and yoghurt: SACU 16.0 million kg; non-SACU 7.7 million kg
- Whey: SACU 2.2 million kg; non-SACU 1.8 million kg
Exports to non-SACU countries outperformed SACU sales in butter, cheese and concentrated milk:
- Cheese and curd: SACU 5.4 million kg; non-SACU 9.5 million kg
- Butter, butter spreads and butter oil: SACU 1.3 million kg; non-SACU 1.8 million kg
- Concentrated milk: SACU 4.0 million kg; non-SACU 13.4 million kg
Overall, South Africa’s total dairy exports grew 31.3% year-on-year, increasing from 37.7 million kg in 2024 to 49.5 million kg in 2025. All six dairy categories recording higher export volumes year-on-year.
On the import side, South Africa imported 23.1 million kg of dairy products in the first nine months of 2025, down from 26.5 million kg in 2024.
