May 2025 – Tensions are escalating between Tanzania and South Africa following Tanzania’s decision to enforce a ban on the import and transit of agricultural products from South Africa and Malawi. This move comes in response to longstanding restrictions on Tanzanian exports—particularly bananas—allegedly over phytosanitary concerns.
The ban, officially announced late last week, includes not only the import of agricultural goods but also restrictions on the transit of such goods, including fertilizers, through Tanzanian territory.
This follows a public warning issued earlier in May by Tanzanian Minister of Agriculture Hussein Bashe, who signaled that Tanzania would retaliate if South Africa and Malawi did not lift restrictions affecting its agricultural exports.
Dispute Centers on Banana Imports
At the heart of the dispute is South Africa’s refusal to allow the import of Tanzanian bananas, citing non-compliance with phytosanitary requirements—a set of safety and pest-control standards required for international agricultural trade. While Tanzania claims these requirements are overly restrictive, South African officials maintain that all trade partners must comply with internationally recognized sanitary standards.
Notably, South Africa has not imported bananas from Tanzania in any significant volume for over 20 years. According to Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist at Agbiz, this could be due to logistical or market challenges rather than formal trade bans.
“Tanzania’s market share in South Africa’s banana imports has been negligible,” said Sihlobo. “Mozambique currently supplies 74% of our banana imports, followed by Eswatini (19%), Seychelles (4%), and Zimbabwe (2%).”
Sihlobo emphasized that South Africa and Tanzania are not major agricultural trade partners, with Tanzania accounting for only 1% of South Africa’s agricultural exports and 0.4% of imports in 2024.
South Africa Responds
South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has confirmed that it reached out to Tanzania’s National Plant Protection Organization to clarify which products will be affected by the ban.
Meanwhile, the Fresh Produce Importers Association of South Africa (FPIA) has highlighted the successful collaboration between the two countries regarding avocado exports. Tanzania had previously gained access to the South African market by working through the World Trade Organization-aligned process to meet plant health and pest risk requirements.
“The same structured process should be followed for bananas,” said Marianna Theyse, General Manager at FPIA. “Tanzania needs to submit a market access request through its plant health authority. South Africa will then conduct a pest risk analysis and determine the necessary mitigation measures.”
Trade Impact and Next Steps
Although South Africa represents only 1.4% of Tanzania’s farm exports as of 2023, the escalation of trade barriers could have wider implications for regional trade integration and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) goals.
Experts suggest that rather than resorting to unilateral bans, Tanzania should pursue a science-based dialogue and follow established international procedures to gain access to South African agricultural markets.
For now, the dispute highlights the delicate balance between market access and biosecurity in African agricultural trade—a balance that must be navigated carefully to prevent further disruption in the region’s food systems and cross-border trade flows.
