SA welcomes Zimbabwe's decision to lift maize import ban

South Africa's Agriculture Minister, John Steenhuisen, has welcomed Zimbabwe's recent move to lift the ban on maize and other grain imports, officially gazetted under Statutory Instrument 87 of 2025.

Describing the decision as a return to sound economic policy, Steenhuisen said it was crucial for the prosperity and stability of the Southern African region. He noted that allowing exports helps stabilise local prices and that Zimbabwe's market plays an important role for both white and yellow maize.

"This is an extremely welcome development that underscores the collective responsibility we share in ensuring food sufficiency," Steenhuisen said. He added that the agricultural sector thrives on predictability and efficiency, and that restrictive trade measures, while sometimes intended to protect local producers, often lead to market distortions that ultimately harm consumers.

The minister stressed that lifting the ban was vital for food security and protecting consumers across the region. "By allowing the free flow of maize, particularly white maize that our people on the continent consume as a staple food, we are sending a clear signal of confidence to our agribusinesses and exporters, encouraging the investment and expanded production that benefits all in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States," he said.

Steenhuisen added that the move strengthens regional integration and ensures that surplus-producing nations can readily meet the needs of their neighbours.

Zimbabwe had imposed the maize import ban in August 2025 following a strong 2024/2025 harvest, a measure aimed at protecting the domestic market and ensuring local farmers' grain was purchased before opening borders to foreign competition. Officials had indicated that the bumper harvest had created enough stock to meet immediate milling and consumption needs.

The lifting of the ban in October 2025 was intended to address food security concerns, correct market distortions, and respond to regional trade pressures, signalling Zimbabwe's renewed commitment to open trade and regional cooperation in agriculture.