The Political Economy of Sugar in Southern Africa – Introduction

Figures & data

Table 1. Sugar cane area, production and yield in southern Africa, 1992–2012

	Harvested area			Cane production			Cane yield
	(’000 ha)			(’000 t)			(t/ha)
	1992	2002	2012	1992	2002	2012	1992	2002	2012
Malawi	18	24	27	1,900	2,600	2,800	105.6	108.3	103.7
Mozambique	15	35	46	159	1,586	3,394	10.6	45.3	73.9
South Africa	275	330	320	12,955	23,012	14,278	47.2	69.7	54.0
Swaziland	40	47	56	3,885	4,600	5,400	97.1	98.9	96.4
Tanzania	17	17	29	1,410	1,750	2,900	83.8	106.1	100.0
Zambia	14	22	39	1,300	2,300	3,900	96.3	104.5	100.0
Zimbabwe	14	40	45	125	4,200	3,700	8.9	105.0	82.2
Total	393	515	562	21,734	40,048	36,372	64.2	91.1	87.2

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, ‘FAOSTAT’ (Rome, FAO, 2015), at http://faostat3.fao.org/browse/Q/QC/E, retrieved 5 July 2016.

Figure 1. Corporate dispersal of sugar operations across Southern Africa. Sources: Google Maps, with coordinates from The Sugar Engineers consultancy, ‘Sugar Factories of Southern Africa’ (Grahamstown, The Sugar Engineers, 2014), available at http://www.sugartech.co.za/factories/list.php?regid=7, retrieved 20 October 2014.

Table 2. Sugar output in southern Africa

Country	Company	Mills	Raw sugar output capacity (in tonnes, approx.)*
Malawi	Illovo	Dwangwa, Nchalo	300,000
Mozambique	Illovo	Maragra	84,000
	Tongaat Hulett	Mafambisse, Xinavane	250,000
	Tereos/Petrobras	Sena Sugar	100,000
South Africa	Illovo	Eston, Gledhow, Noodsberg, Sezela, Umzimkulu**	698,000
	Tongaat Hulett	Amatikulu, Darnall, Maidstone	634,000
	Umfolozi Sugar Mill	Umfolozi	135,000
	Union Cooperative Ltd	Dalton	90,000
	TSB	Malalane, Komati, Pongola	650,000
Swaziland	Royal Swazi	Mhlume	225,000
	Royal Swazi/Tongaat Hulett	Simunye	250,00
	Illovo-Royal Swazi	Ubombo	250,000
Tanzania	Illovo	Msolwa, Ruembe	130,000
	Tanzania Sugar Industries Ltd	Mtibwa	40,000
	Sukari Investment Company	TPC (Moshi)	100,000
	Kagera Sugar Ltd	Kagera	45,000
Zambia	Illovo	Nakambala	400,000
Zimbabwe	Tongaat Hulett	Hippo Valley, Triangle	600,000

^* Data are approximate figures based on recent maximum output. Actual output may be lower, due to poor sugar cane harvests or factory operating conditions.

^** Umzimkulu Mill was closed in 2012–13 due to drought in southern KwaZulu-Natal, and does not contribute to these production data.

Table 3. Contributions to sugar operating profits

	Illovo					Tongaat Hulett
	% of production		% contribution to operating profit			% of production		% contribution to operating profit
	2002/3	2012/3	2002/3	2012/3	2013/4	2007/8	2012/3	2007/8	2012/3	2013/4
Malawi	11	17	24	48	39	-	-	-	-	-
Zambia	10	23	22	25	30	-	-	-	-	-
Mozambique	2	5	0	6	2	10	19	41	29	18
Swaziland	9	13	13	8	14	5	3	6	5	8
Tanzania	4	7	0	5	1	-	-	-	-	-
Zimbabwe	-	-	-	-	-	27	38	7	44	36
South Africa	56	34	39	8	14	58	39	46	21	37
USA	7	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Sources: Tongaat Hulett, ‘Integrated Annual Report 2014’, available at http://www.tongaat.co.za/imc/annual_reports/ar_home.asp#2014, retrieved 18 August 2014; Tongaat Hulett, ‘Integrated Annual Report 2013: Year Ended 31 March 2013’, at http://www.tongaat.co.za/imc/annual_reports/ar_home.asp#2013; Tongaat Hulett, ‘Annual Report 2008’, at http://www.tongaat.co.za/imc/annual_reports/ar_home.asp, retrieved 29 April 2013; Tongaat Hulett, ‘Annual Report 2007’; Illovo Sugar, ‘Integrated Report for the year ended 31 March 2013’ (2013), at https://www.illovosugar.co.za/UserContent/Documents/Current-Year-Report-Overview/2013_Condensed-Financial-Statements.pdf, retrieved 10 January 2014; Illovo Sugar, ‘Annual Report 2002’ (2002), retrieved 10 January 2014; StatsSA, ‘Consumer Price Index’ (2013), at http://www.statssa.gov.za/keyindicators/CPI/CPIHistory_rebased.pdf, retrieved 18 May 2014; South African Reserve Bank ‘Selected historical rates’ (2015), at https://www.resbank.co.za/Research/Rates/Pages/SelectedHistoricalExchangeAndInterestRates.aspx, retrieved 13 May 2015.

Figure 2. Southern African sugar exports to the EU by country, 1988–2015. Source: European Commission, ‘Eurostat’ (Brussels, European Commission, 2016), available at http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database, retrieved 6 July 2016.