South African soya bean farmers have steadily improved yields over the past decade, but there remains a sizeable gap between local production and that of the world’s leading producers. While climate and management practices play an important role, access to improved genetics has become one of the biggest differentiators.
Brazil’s success illustrates what decades of sustained investment in breeding and biotechnology can achieve. While South Africa is beginning to reap similar benefits as more seed companies invest in bringing improved varieties to the local market, there are still barriers to expanding the seed range.
Facundo Stella, commercial manager for GDM Seeds in South Africa, says Brazilian soya bean yields have been increasing by an average of 1,2% per year through the continuous introduction of improved varieties. Farmers there produce an average of 3,2t/ha compared with South Africa’s 2,5t/ha, leaving significant room for local improvement.
According to Stella, limited access to the latest technologies has constrained South African yields.
“Newer varieties can deliver yield improvements of up to 15%, while also offering better disease resistance. But South African farmers currently have access to only two biotechnology traits: Roundup Ready, introduced in 2001, and Intacta, which became available locally in 2021.
“Intacta was launched in Brazil 15 years earlier, giving Brazilian farmers a considerable head start in benefiting from the technology,” he says.
Stella notes that Brazil’s biotechnology landscape is considerably more advanced, with farmers having access to five major trait platforms:
- Roundup Ready: Bayer technology providing tolerance to glyphosate;
- Xtend and XtendFlex: Bayer technology providing tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba, with XtendFlex also providing tolerance to glufosinate.
- Enlist: Corteva technology providing an optimised 2,4-D choline formulation as well as tolerance to glyphosate and glufosinate;
- Conkesta: Corteva’s combined trait system that integrates Enlist herbicide tolerance with resistance to lepidopteran insect pests; and
- Intacta RR2 Pro/IPRO: Bayer technology combining glyphosate tolerance with built-in protection against major insect pests like pod borers and loopers.
Market size has a big impact on the extent to which seed companies invest in local trials and roll out new technologies. With the South African market being 46 times smaller than Brazil’s, GDM’s trials are concentrated in the latter country.
“Breeding in South Africa isn’t necessarily financially viable, because the market is so much smaller. So we use locations in Brazil that have similar climates to South Africa to find the best varieties,” says Stella.
“This year, we are testing almost 35 new Intacta varieties in South Africa. So there is investment here, but not on the scale as in Brazil.”
Andrew Bennett, CEO of the South African Cultivar and Technology Agency (SACTA), says there’s an advantage to breeding varieties in the environments where they’ll ultimately be grown.
“The US has the advantage that genetics that have been developed in the US over time are very much adapted to their climate. South Africa, on the other hand, has very limited breeding programmes, and most varieties have been developed elsewhere and then just screened to find those suited to South Africa,” he explains.
However, Bennett cautions that international yield comparisons should always be viewed in context. “The US averages yields of 4t/ha for soya beans. Their maize yields are also much higher. This has to do with genetics but also a more favourable production climate.”
Incentivising genetic advancement
South Africa currently plants around 1,15 million hectares to soya beans each year, compared with approximately 250 000ha before 2019. That year marked a turning point for the industry when it introduced a levy to compensate seed companies for developing improved varieties. The reason for the levy is that harvested soya beans can be replanted, reducing the need for farmers to buy more seed, which results in a reduction in seed companies’ income.
Developing improved varieties requires years of investment, making a viable commercial market essential if seed companies are to continue introducing new genetics.
Bennett says South Africa’s soya bean levy has helped create that incentive by ensuring breeders receive compensation for their investment.
The levy currently stands at R73/t of soya beans harvested.
Before the levy was introduced, average yields were around 1,8t/ha. Today, they average 2,5t/ha.
A Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy study found that yields increased by 4% between 2023 and 2024. Bennett notes, however, that the gains started from a relatively low base and shouldn’t necessarily be expected every season.
He stresses that genetic improvement is cumulative rather than dramatic, and gains achieved in South Africa cannot be expected to reach those of countries like Brazil or the US overnight.
The levies are distributed by SACTA to around 12 seed producers, based on a formula that calculates each company’s market share according to seed sales and farmer declarations.
Bennett says the number of companies marketing soya bean seed has increased, with multinational companies showing greater interest in the South African market.
Since the levy came into effect, 146 new soya bean varieties have been registered in South Africa.
Bennett says there is still room to strengthen the incentive for breeders.
“Of the approximately 1,2 million hectares planted last season, only around 15% was planted using purchased seed. This is a big hurdle for seed companies because it greatly limits the income they derive from their investments, and how much they can plough back into seed breeding. The income from the levy helps, but it doesn’t make up for everything.”
The value of improved genetics is evident in farmers’ fields. Bennett points to Grain SA’s Grow for Gold National Yield Competition, where last year’s winners all planted varieties released since the levy was introduced. Yields exceeded 7t/ha in the eastern Highveld and reached around 5,5t/ha in the eastern Free State.
Improved genetics have also expanded South Africa’s production footprint.
“Before the levy was introduced, most of South Africa’s soya beans were planted in Mpumalanga, whereas today more than 50% is produced in the Free State. The added benefit is that since soya beans fix nitrogen in the soil, they reduce input costs for the follow-up maize crop. So the improvement in genetics has a big knock-on effect for farmers,” explains Bennett.
He adds that genetics are only one reason for the industry’s growth.
“The increase in area planted is not only due to improved genetics but also a whole value chain that supports soya bean production. With crushing capacity having expanded significantly, South Africa has shifted from being a net importer to a net exporter of soya beans.
“The soya bean industry is a good example of what can be achieved when a whole value chain is optimised.”
The other piece of the puzzle
Better genetics provide farmers with greater yield potential, but that potential can only be realised if the crop is managed correctly. Stella says genetics, management, and the environment all contribute to final yield, making good agronomic practices just as important as improved seed.
“It takes more than good genetics to lift yields. Good management practices and optimal fertilisation also play a leading role. Genetics account for approximately 13% of yield, while management practices contribute about 27%. The remaining 60% is determined by environmental conditions that are largely beyond farmers’ control.”
He explains that maize remains the dominant crop on many South African farms, with soya beans often receiving less focus and resources.
“In Brazil, farmers mostly prioritise soya bean production by planting within the optimum window and allocating their best fields to the crop.”
Stella says timely planting helps crops avoid the heat and wind that arrive later in the season, while regular soil analyses allow fertiliser programmes to be tailored specifically for soya beans instead of relying on residual nutrients left after maize.
He believes more local on-farm trials are needed to determine the best varieties and management practices for different production environments.
“Fertilisation, distance between rows, and plant stand are some of the elements that need to be fine-tuned to lift yields. Trials need to be conducted by farmers, too, because what works on one farm won’t necessarily work on another.”
Ultimately, he says, the biggest gains will come from combining improved genetics with optimised crop management and fertilisation.
Regulations need to keep pace
While improved breeding and investment are driving progress today, Stella and Bennett believe future gains will increasingly depend on ensuring South Africa’s regulatory environment keeps up with scientific advances.
Bennett says technologies such as gene editing (GEd) can dramatically shorten the time needed to develop varieties that address emerging production challenges.
However, South Africa currently regulates GEd crops as genetically modified organisms, significantly extending the approval process and delaying access to better technology.
“Industry stakeholders are working with government to bring our regulations in line with countries like the US and the EU. If we can get to a place where gene-edited crops don’t require stringent regulation, South Africa’s yields could be up there with the rest of the world,” says Bennett.
He also points to the new Plant Breeders’ Rights Act (No.12 of 2018), which came into effect in June 2025 and strengthens protection for plant breeders. Under the Act, commercial farmers must obtain permission to save and replant seed from protected varieties, and possibly pay royalties. Smallholder, subsistence, and vulnerable household farmers are exempt from this requirement.
However, Bennett notes that the practical implementation is still being refined. “Farmers can’t be billed twice for the same thing. They already pay levies to SACTA, so the thinking is that the SACTA levy could play the role of granting permission and providing remuneration to the seed companies. But such details are still being worked out.”
As more advanced genetics reach South African farmers, investment in breeding continues to grow, and management practices improve, the country’s yield gap is beginning to narrow. Matching the productivity of global leaders will take time, but the progress already achieved suggests that with sustained investment and the right policy environment, South African soya bean production has considerable room to grow.
