This Forum marks a significant milestone in bilateral agricultural cooperation and opens new frontiers for Italian agri-food and agri-technology business in South Africa and the wider African continent
Cape Town, 11 June 2026: The Italian Trade Agency (ICE) co-hosted the Italy-South Africa Agri-Food Business Forum at The Westin Hotel in Cape Town on 9 June, bringing together a high-level delegation of government ministers, institutional leaders, agribusiness representatives, investors and industry stakeholders from both countries to advance agricultural trade, investment and innovation.
Organised by ICE in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, and the South African National Department of Agriculture, the Forum represents one of the most strategically significant bilateral agricultural business engagements of the year for exporters and investors. Wide-ranging discussions spanned food security, foreign investment, climate-smart agriculture, agri-technology and export development. The Forum was convened under the theme From the Soil to the Shelf – a framing that signals the shared ambition to move beyond raw commodity trade and towards integrated, value-added agricultural partnerships in which Italian expertise plays a central role.
The Forum provided a structured environment for Italian agri-food, agri-technology and food processing companies to engage directly with South African counterparts, with Business-to-Business meetings running in parallel to the programme. South Africa – as a gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area and one of the continent’s most sophisticated agricultural markets – represents a priority destination for Italian businesses seeking to expand their presence across sub-Saharan Africa. The Forum also welcomed business delegations from Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe, reflecting the broader regional opportunity for Italian industry.
ICE President Matteo Zoppas addressed delegates during the plenary session, underlining ICE’s commitment to supporting Italian companies in building lasting commercial relationships and technology partnerships in the South African market.
A highlight of the opening session was the signing of an Italy-South Africa Memorandum of Understanding, formalising a joint commitment between SACE, Italy’s export credit agency, and SIMEST, the Italian development finance institution focused on internationalisation, with the Italian-South African Chamber of Commerce. The MOU establishes a framework for long-term cooperation across research and innovation, digital agriculture, agricultural mechanisation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, agro-processing and technology transfer – and creates a Joint Working Group to ensure the commitments made translate into practical commercial and investment outcomes.
The Forum carried strong ministerial endorsement from both governments. Italy’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, H.E. Francesco Lollobrigida, outlined Italy’s vision for a long-term agri-food partnership with South Africa, while South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, H.E. John Steenhuisen, delivered the opening keynote. Welcome remarks were also delivered by Ambassador of South Africa to Italy H.E. Nosipho Jezile, and Ambassador of Italy to South Africa H.E. Alberto Vecchi.
Minister Steenhuisen pointed to an already strong commercial foundation, with agricultural trade between South Africa and Italy exceeding R650 million annually and horticultural exports valued at approximately R190 million. He described these figures as evidence that Italian consumers and businesses already recognise the quality of South African agricultural products. He outlined a vision for combining South Africa’s production strengths with Italy’s world-renowned expertise in processing, packaging, technology and branding to create greater value across entire supply chains.
Commenting on the MOU signing, Ambassador Vecchi said, “Through this MOU we are cementing a framework for deep collaboration. We want to see South African citrus, table grapes, and livestock benefit from Italian processing and packaging innovations right here on South African soil, creating local jobs and boosting export competitiveness. By building strong, sustainable, value-added partnerships today, we are setting a benchmark for how European and African economies can grow together dynamically, innovatively, and equitably.”
The Italy-South Africa Agri-Food Business Forum forms part of ICE’s broader Africa programme, which in 2026 encompasses 15 activities in South Africa spanning collective Italian participations in mining, agriculture and infrastructure, as well as incoming delegations to leading Italian trade fairs including Vinitaly and Macfrut.
