A grain that was cultivated exclusively for feeding birds may soon find its way into bread, cookies and pasta for gluten-free consumers.

South Africa’s worst drought on record, a plunging currency and debt-burdened consumers are weighing on the country’s biggest food producers, who may sacrifice profits in order to keep prices affordable and preserve market share.

Retailers Woolworths and Massmart have separately reported excellent results on Thursday, as South Africa's retailers come off a strong festive season.

Poultry industry players say the United States is using the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), and its favourable market access by sub-Saharan countries, to force the hand of South Africa in a dispute over chicken imports amid concerns about health standards.

South African fishing company Sea Harvest recently announced a 19.9 percent acquisition of Australia’s ASX-listed Mareterram, making it the company’s largest shareholder.

Food and household goods retail chain Shoprite Holdings, which owns brands including Shoprite, Checkers, Usave and OK Furniture, showed muted growth in the six months to December as South African consumers came under pressure and competition among supermarket chains intensified.

The South African Reserve Bank has launched the commemorative Griqua Town R5 coin into circulation.

South Africa is moving closer to a recession and possible credit-rating downgrade to junk after the rand collapsed and as investors lose faith in the ability of President Jacob Zuma’s government to stem the slide.

Market share figures released by Kantar Worldpanel today suggest that Tesco and Asda had a disappointing Christmas, whilst the discounters, Waitrose, the Co-operative and Sainsbury’s grew ahead of the market and were the share winners over the all-important trading period.

To enter and be successful in marketing and selling products to [these] invisible markets the trick is to minimise the risk of investment through knowledge and information.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says that government’s plan to hike taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks by 20% will lead to an increase in food prices that will hit the poor.

South Africa may need to import as much as 5 million tonnes of maize this year, roughly half of its requirements, because of its worst drought in three decades, the country's largest producer group said.