Russia and South Africa are seeking to deepen agricultural trade and expand business ties, as Russian shipments of agricultural products to the African country reached more than $54 million in the first nine months of 2026.
Russia supplied South Africa with around 230,000 tonnes of agricultural products during the January-September period, according to data cited by Russia’s Pivot to Asia in a report published on Wednesday.
Wheat accounted for the bulk of shipments, with exports valued at more than $51.5 million. Instant coffee exports exceeded $1.1 million, while millet shipments were worth approximately $770,000. Russian agricultural exporters also see potential to expand supplies of other products, including apples.
The push to strengthen commercial ties was highlighted during a business mission of Russian agricultural exporters to South Africa on October 12, when Denis Belous of the Russian Embassy in South Africa called for closer cooperation between businesses in the two countries.
“Our common task is to ensure that the high level of political dialogue between Russia and South Africa finds practical reflection in the growth of mutual trade turnover, the development of industrial cooperation and the implementation of joint projects,” Belous said.
He added that stronger direct links between Russian and South African entrepreneurs could help advance bilateral commercial relations.
Trade between the two countries reached $907.8 million in 2025, up 6.2% from 2024, according to the report. Russian exports included fertilisers and grain, with compound fertilisers accounting for 40% of shipments, followed by wheat at 20%, nitrogen fertilisers at 16% and potash fertilisers at 13%.
The latest business mission includes meetings with the South African Meat Processors Association and the South African Meat Importers and Exporters Association, alongside business-to-business discussions between companies from both countries. Delegates are also scheduled to visit Johannesburg-based meat processor QK Meats SA.
The initiative seeks to identify new commercial opportunities across agricultural trade and food processing, building on economic ties between the two BRICS members.
Expanding direct business engagement could help Russian exporters broaden their presence in the South African market while giving companies on both sides opportunities to explore new supply and investment partnerships.
