Due to the South African climate having limited rainfall, rice is not commercially produced in the country, but is rather imported from abroad. In 2012, significant changes in the market share of the main importing countries were noted. In particular, rice imports from China and India increased drastically, whereas Thailand's market share declined sharply.
The rice category incorporates most varieties of rice, including nutty brown, white, parboiled, precooked, jasmine, wild and basmati. Rice cakes are excluded from this report, but rice meal kits, defined as convenience rice products with an added flavourant, usually packaged in a separate sachet within the meal kit, are included in this report.
The majority of rice volumes are channelled through the retail and wholesale sectors.
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal together contribute just over half of the total market volumes.
