Buy South Africa Rice Directly From Exporters & Suppliers - Best of 2024 Market Prices

South Africa rice farming has been going on for over 500 years, however, not commercially. Rice farming in South Africa was commercialised in 2011 and since then, proven to be a lucrative business, grown by both smallholder farmers and large commercial farms.

Rice is a seed from the grass species Oryza glaberrima (African rice) or Oryza sativa (Asian rice). It is grown as an annual crop but can be grown twice in tropical regions. Although native to Western Africa and Asia, it is grown in all parts of the world thanks to trade.

Rice is a global staple food and is consumed by more than a fifth of the worlds total population, and nutritionally, contributing to the calories consumed by that fifth!

Commercial rice farming in South Africa was introduced in 2011, seeing the emergence of milling companies and reduction of rice volumes imported by 20%. Even though commercial rice farming is carried out by large Chinese investment firms, local smallholder farmers have benefitted from rice farming in South Africa exporters outsource from them.

Rice can be grown anywhere as long as there are means to control water as opposed to the myth that rice does well only in waterlogged areas. South Africa mainly grows her rice in the Kwazulu Natal region, Western area of the Free state province as well as Thabazimbi. 

South Africa rice is mainly grown under irrigation, and these areas have soil made up of 15% clay which can hold water decently. 

Rice seeds vary in size, length aroma, colour and width, these variables generally determine the variety of rice, with there being over 90000 varieties, only four are commercially cultivated. These are; Indica, aromatic, Japonica and glutinous. 

Generally, the rice family is divided with the size of the grain; they can be long, medium or short grain.

Long grain- The long-grain has a hard endosperm and is 6-8mm in length. It is the thinnest of the three.

Medium grain-It is shorter than the long-grain rice, 5-6mm in length, its endosperm is soft and chalky.

Short grain-It is the shortest with a length of 3mm-4mm, however, thicker than both long grain and medium grain. The short-grain endosperm is also chalky and soft.

South Africa rice takes 120-170 days to mature; for the natural rainfed lowlands, the harvest is around October. However, rice irrigated is available throughout the year because the planting date determines the harvest.

Harvesting is done manually as the rice plantations are still small; the use of traditional means is implied, such as sickles and sharp knives. The rice is then threshed, dried and taken to the milling factories. For export, the rice is packed in standard 90 kg jute bags, then the importer will brand the rice themselves. For local consumption, the rice is packed in 2kg, 5kg and 20kg jute bags.

South Africa has been exploiting its potential in rice production over the past ten years. Sign up on our platform today and get connected with buyers and sellers of South Africa rice!