South African Canegrowers has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to stop sugar imports from Brazil, warning that a surge in foreign sugar is damaging South Africa’s local industry and pushing Tongaat Hulett closer to collapse, The Mercury reported.
SA Canegrowers said a sharp rise in imported sugar is damaging the domestic industry and worsening the crisis at Tongaat Hulett, one of the country’s major sugar companies, which is currently facing possible liquidation. The case is being heard by the Durban High Court.
According to figures from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) tracked by the industry body, sugar imports have risen sharply in recent months. In January 2026 alone, about 24,600 tonnes of refined sugar entered South Africa from countries such as Brazil, India and Thailand. The group said this single month’s imports were higher than the total annual imports recorded in 2020, 2021 and 2022 combined.
SA Canegrowers said the increase in imports is causing heavy financial losses for local producers. The industry estimates that more than R7,000 is lost for every tonne of locally produced sugar that is replaced by imported sugar. For the 2025–26 season, the total loss to the sector could reach about R1.5 billion.
The sugar industry supports more than one million jobs and livelihoods, particularly in rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
Higgins Mdluli said the rise in imports has not lowered prices for consumers. Instead, he claimed some traders are buying cheap sugar from international markets and selling it locally at regular prices, keeping the profits while affecting jobs in the country.
The situation is also linked to the financial troubles of Tongaat Hulett, which runs the country’s only independent sugar refinery. The company produces a specific type of white sugar used by food and beverage companies, the same market that is now seeing an increase in imported refined sugar.
Mdluli warned that even if Tongaat Hulett avoids liquidation, the company may continue to struggle if import tariffs remain weak.
Last week, Parks Tau met industry representatives and the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa to discuss the rise in imports. However, SA Canegrowers said the latest data for early 2026 suggests that recent tariff adjustments have not reduced imports.
The organisation has now urged Ramaphosa to raise the issue with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and stop sugar imports from Brazil, saying South Africa already produces enough sugar to meet domestic demand.
SA Canegrowers also called on the trade commission to complete its review of import tariffs to ensure fair competition and protect farmers, workers and communities that depend on the sugar industry.
