South Africa is a middle-income, developing country with an abundant supply of resources, well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy and transport sectors, a stock exchange that ranks among the 10 largest in the world, and a modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centres throughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough to cut into the 30% unemployment, and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era, especially the problems of poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. Other problems are crime, corruption and HIV/AIDS. At the start of 2000, President Mbeki vowed to promote economic growth and foreign investment by relaxing restrictive labour laws, stepping up the pace of privatization, and cutting unneeded governmental spending. His policies faced strong opposition from organized labour.
South Africa has substantially opened its market since 1994. Tariff rates have generally fallen and other non-tariff barriers have been reduced. As a matter of government policy, the Government of South Africa has aimed for still further market opening in order to increase trade and develop more competitive domestic industries. Most of South Africas tariffs are bound in eight levels, ranging from 0% to 30%, but the South African tariff schedule is complex and can create uncertainty for businesses that import goods on a regular basis.
Under the Import and Export Control Act of 1963, the Minister of Trade and Industry may limit the import of certain goods into South Africa. For those goods subject to import control measures, importers must apply for import permits prior to importation of the goods. Even though the number of products requiring such permits have been reduced in recent years, fish and fish products are still among them.
South Africa has been a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) since its inception in 1969. The other SACU members are Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland. SACU aims to promote free trade and cooperation on customs matters among its five member states.
South Africa is also a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), together with Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. SADC was implementing a Free Trade Protocol, to establish a Free Trade Area in September 2000.
South Africa and the EU have implemented the trade provisions of their Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation. Under the Agreement, South Africa and the EU will establish a free trade area over a transitional period of up to 12 years for South Africa, and up to 10 years for the EU.
Commodity balance (1998 preliminary)
|
Production |
Imports |
Exports |
Total food supply |
Per capita supply |
000 t live weight |
kg |
||||
Fish for direct human consumption |
348.9 |
66.4 |
164.2 |
151.1 |
6.1 |
Non food uses |
215.0 |
38.0 |
34.0 |
219.1 |
- |
Estimated Employment:
Primary sector (including aquaculture) |
27 000 (approximately) |
Secondary sector (includes an estimate of artisanal, subsistence and semi-commercial fishers |
100 000 (approximately) |
There are an estimated additional 600 000 recreational fishers |
South African production of fish and fish products has fluctuated during the decade, but the later years showed a steady increase. The absolutely most important species group for South Africa is the small pelagics (herring, sardine and anchovy), with 62% of total production in 1998, followed by cod, hake and haddock (24%). With such a large share of the total production, variations in these groups will have a big impact on total production. Jack, mullet and saury, together with mackerel, were the species with the largest decline. For further details see Appendix.
Figure 47. Total seafood production by South Africa, 1990-1999 (quantity; tonnes)
In 1998, South Africa was the 36th-largest exporter of fish and fish products, when ranked by value, with exports of 128 882 t, worth US$ 244 million. Export levels varied substantially during the 1990s, with peaks in 1992 and 1994. From 1995, development has been more stable, showing a steady increase. The EU is the largest importer of fish products from South Africa, followed by Japan, China (Hong Kong SAR) and USA. The fellow southern African countries take some fish products, but are mostly suppliers in this chain of commerce.
Figure 48. Total seafood exports from South Africa, 1990-1998
South Africa increased its number of trading partners during the 1990s. The data available on trading partners do not give a good picture of the situation, as the data starts in 1993/1994. 1994 was an exceptional year, with the highest export level recorded in the 1990s. Looking only at the data from 1994 on, one would get the impression that there has been a decline in South African exports. This is of course valid if considering the years in isolation, but the comparison starts from 1990 it can be seen that there was a total increase in exports from 1990 to 1998. The reason for the irregular development could be higher catches in 1992, which led to higher exports. In 1994 there also were more imports to South Africa, some of which might have been destined for re-export, as the export figures are higher than for other years.
Figure 49. South Africas exports by value (US$ 000s) in 1995 and 1998, by destination
The decline that followed seems to have been a stabilization of the situation, as development over the next years was that of gradual increase. Changes in exports to the various countries were irregular. Comparing 1994 and 1998, the share of exports going to the EU declined as new markets emerged. In terms of value, more exports went to Asian and African countries. This was relative, primarily due to a decline in total exports from 1994 to 1998, and not caused by an absolute increase to the Asian and African countries as a whole. While exports to all countries was reduced, exports to China (Hong Kong SAR) declined severely from 1994 to 1995, when the exports of some crustaceans and cephalopods were dramatically reduced. The value of exports to China (Hong Kong SAR) maintained the same level for a while.
The liberalization of the general tariffs to the EU has made it easier to export to the EU for most countries. This is also the case for South Africa. South Africa and the EU recently signed a bilateral trade agreement.
South African imports have been small, and volumes fluctuated more than for exports. In 1995 it reached a decade peak, while dropping substantially the next year. The following years show a further decline. Most South African imports are of fishmeal, and the low level of imports in 1998 can be explained by a low global availability of fishmeal. South African imports declined through the 1990s and in 1998 total imports were a meagre 52 577 t. The biggest supplier of fish products to South Africa was the Philippines, followed by Thailand, Peru and Russia. The largest decline per product group was for fishmeal, fats and oils.
Figure 50. Seafood imports by South Africa, 1990-1998
South Africas exports have mainly consisted of fresh and frozen fish, while the value also derives from fresh crustaceans and molluscs.
Most of South Africas imports during the 1990s was fishmeal, though quantities varied. The data from FAO Fishstat and the South African Buitlandske Handelsstatistieke show very different figures for 1998. The Fishstat data show a dramatic decline in imports. This is probably due to the El Niño effect causing a decline in global fishmeal production, leading to higher prices.
Table 12. South Africas seafood trade - exports and imports - on a commodity basis by value (US$), 1990-1998
Product category |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
Exports by value |
|||||||||
Marine fish fillets, frozen |
10 599 |
16 126 |
23 088 |
19 538 |
28 056 |
36 472 |
38 257 |
45 839 |
62 413 |
Squids (Ommastrephes sagittatus, Loligo spp.), frozen |
11 999 |
19 191 |
13 947 |
15 628 |
20 331 |
33 584 |
36 625 |
22 730 |
26 712 |
Hakes, fresh or chilled |
27 |
177 |
602 |
1 065 |
5 296 |
8 329 |
16 642 |
21 594 |
26 697 |
Marine fish, frozen, nei |
8 994 |
9 353 |
13 339 |
15 135 |
16 808 |
11 911 |
7 595 |
23 515 |
22 399 |
Cape hake, frozen |
18 884 |
36 695 |
35 095 |
54 263 |
80 071 |
37 775 |
17 475 |
17 381 |
21 622 |
Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), nei, frozen |
21 902 |
20 190 |
27 421 |
22 438 |
19 820 |
21 672 |
13 033 |
13 791 |
12 540 |
Albacore (= Longfin tuna), frozen |
4 960 |
4 196 |
17 135 |
13 150 |
15 918 |
10 407 |
8 290 |
10 008 |
9 586 |
Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), nei, fresh or chilled |
8 519 |
5 316 |
5 059 |
5 624 |
9 428 |
9 595 |
6 134 |
5 648 |
7 558 |
Fish nei, dried, unsalted |
7 155 |
10 286 |
8 796 |
9 837 |
9 190 |
7 510 |
5 512 |
7 704 |
6 189 |
Jack and horse mackerel, frozen |
3 626 |
691 |
614 |
2 669 |
2 531 |
2 239 |
5 415 |
7 071 |
5 763 |
|
Imports by value |
||||||||
Tunas nei, canned |
14 071 |
17 549 |
13 930 |
18 142 |
16 730 |
16 914 |
18 312 |
22 969 |
20 016 |
Shrimps and prawns, frozen |
6 634 |
9 951 |
7 083 |
6 284 |
6 111 |
9 193 |
12 324 |
12 973 |
9 909 |
South African pilchard, canned |
9 016 |
666 |
1 167 |
2 874 |
1 698 |
3 853 |
1 251 |
9 466 |
8 052 |
Jack and horse mackerel, frozen |
1 594 |
1 322 |
2 810 |
2 666 |
6 187 |
4 431 |
325 |
1 016 |
6 023 |
Cephalopods nei, frozen |
1 543 |
2 507 |
2 808 |
2 078 |
4 183 |
5 904 |
4 775 |
9 025 |
3 909 |
Oily-fish meal, nei |
59 635 |
76 840 |
60 249 |
27 471 |
70 118 |
77 519 |
52 854 |
61 953 |
3 380 |
Pilchards, canned |
4 913 |
2 699 |
3 505 |
4 651 |
3 137 |
3 146 |
3 089 |
3 317 |
3 293 |
Molluscs nei, canned |
2 853 |
1 709 |
1 284 |
1 725 |
1 639 |
2 507 |
2 968 |
1 789 |
2 803 |
Snoek, frozen |
792 |
2 551 |
762 |
1 926 |
1 368 |
2 206 |
1 130 |
1 447 |
2 386 |
Fish preparations, nei |
400 |
101 |
129 |
58 |
366 |
169 |
323 |
570 |
1 435 |
NOTE: nei = not elsewhere included
Figure 51. Overview of South Africas export trade in seafood, by commodity, 1990-1998
South Africa export commodity groups 1990 - 1998 - a
South Africa export commodity groups 1990 - 1998 - b
Export Quantity |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
Crustaceans & Molluscs, fresh, chilled, etc... |
6827 |
6836 |
5874 |
7336 |
12307 |
10388 |
11043 |
6941 |
9163 |
Crustaceans & Molluscs, Products & Preparations |
115 |
83 |
136 |
112 |
1633 |
66 |
161 |
78 |
68 |
Fish Products and Preparation |
4232 |
13243 |
8695 |
9750 |
11221 |
6019 |
7846 |
4481 |
5257 |
Fish, dried, salted or smoked |
4970 |
6138 |
5166 |
5690 |
5065 |
3744 |
2709 |
3744 |
3357 |
Fish, fresh, chilled or frozen |
41557 |
43120 |
125338 |
93775 |
143600 |
71092 |
59486 |
74853 |
101970 |
Meals, Solubles, etc... |
2626 |
4253 |
4776 |
5432 |
4045 |
4288 |
3822 |
6828 |
6797 |
Oils and Fats |
35 |
197 |
583 |
576 |
122 |
316 |
353 |
275 |
2270 |
Export value |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
Crustaceans & Molluscs, fresh, chilled, etc... |
48672 |
48686 |
53706 |
52412 |
58885 |
76330 |
70689 |
60081 |
61511 |
Crustaceans & Molluscs, Products & Preparations |
3763 |
4633 |
7222 |
5106 |
4720 |
1771 |
6390 |
3118 |
2198 |
Fish Products and Preparation |
4643 |
15081 |
11237 |
12764 |
16838 |
9378 |
10996 |
7465 |
7742 |
Fish, dried, salted or smoked |
7957 |
11745 |
11245 |
12015 |
11538 |
10402 |
7376 |
9746 |
7475 |
Fish, fresh, chilled or frozen |
51199 |
71952 |
95116 |
113816 |
161968 |
141703 |
104285 |
135817 |
161340 |
Meals, Solubles, etc... |
1140 |
2302 |
2329 |
2495 |
1953 |
2413 |
1607 |
2628 |
2788 |
Oils and Fats |
19 |
160 |
384 |
422 |
94 |
287 |
277 |
199 |
1194 |
Figure 52. Overview of South Africas import trade in seafood, by commodity, 1990-1998
South Africa import commodity groups 1990 - 1998 - a
South Africa import commodity groups 1990 - 1998 - b
Import Quantity |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
Crustaceans & Molluscs, fresh, chilled, etc... |
3147 |
4117 |
4430 |
3062 |
4944 |
7607 |
5919 |
9563 |
5574 |
Crustaceans & Molluscs, Products & Preparations |
1234 |
787 |
623 |
762 |
781 |
1041 |
1190 |
992 |
902 |
Fish Products and Preparation |
19424 |
11313 |
10155 |
14001 |
11974 |
14268 |
12095 |
20773 |
17086 |
Fish, dried, salted or smoked |
311 |
321 |
437 |
432 |
516 |
550 |
242 |
365 |
376 |
Fish, fresh, chilled or frozen |
29985 |
22932 |
27800 |
32923 |
41697 |
30690 |
7547 |
10577 |
20616 |
Meals, Solubles, etc... |
133016 |
162921 |
124263 |
73195 |
191884 |
214673 |
97835 |
157484 |
7614 |
Oils and Fats |
25123 |
23448 |
9732 |
16042 |
24121 |
55740 |
23496 |
13678 |
409 |
Import Value |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
Crustaceans & Molluscs, fresh, chilled, etc... |
9546 |
13966 |
11924 |
9589 |
11765 |
17319 |
19353 |
26530 |
16836 |
Crustaceans & Molluscs, Products & Preparations |
4196 |
2770 |
2301 |
2955 |
2889 |
4016 |
5078 |
4315 |
3821 |
Fish Products and Preparation |
31323 |
23741 |
21444 |
29622 |
25261 |
27932 |
29125 |
40343 |
35190 |
Fish, dried, salted or smoked |
1722 |
1692 |
2225 |
1546 |
1772 |
2251 |
1385 |
1595 |
1701 |
Fish, fresh, chilled or frozen |
18236 |
16332 |
13975 |
13370 |
15431 |
14644 |
9833 |
12510 |
15079 |
Meals, Solubles, etc... |
59635 |
76840 |
60249 |
27471 |
70118 |
77519 |
52854 |
61953 |
3380 |
Oils and Fats |
6157 |
6092 |
3325 |
5644 |
7329 |
11725 |
9195 |
6211 |
498 |