South Africa’s stuffed pasta and couscous imports reached US$33M in 2024
SOUTH AFRICA – Imports of stuffed pasta and couscous in South Africa peaked in 2024, reaching an estimated value of US$33M, and are likely to see gradual growth in years to come, according to a report released by IndexBox, an AI-driven market intelligence platform.
For the third consecutive year, South Africa recorded growth in purchases abroad, which increased by 21% to 23K tons in 2024. Over the period under review, total imports indicated a pronounced increase at an average annual rate of +3.8% from 2014 to 2024.
The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2022 when imports increased by 29% against the previous year.
Namibia (7.9K tons, US$7.5M), China (5.7K tons, US$8.1M), and Indonesia (3.6K tons, US$6.9M) were the main suppliers of stuffed pasta and couscous imports to South Africa in 2024, with a combined 73% share of total imports and 69% of total value of imports
Italy, Mozambique, South Korea and Thailand came in next, together comprising a further 21% share of total imports and 25% of total value of imports.
From 2014 to 2024, Mozambique recorded the highest growth rate as an importer with a CAGR of +50.7% in terms of purchases, and a CAGR of +45.0% in terms of the value of imports,.
Dried, undried and frozen pasta and pasta products (20K tons, US$31M) constituted the largest type of stuffed pasta and couscous supplied to South Africa, accounting for 85% of total imports and 86% of total value of imports.
Moreover, dried, undried and frozen pasta and pasta products exceeded the figures recorded for the second-largest type, couscous (2.7K tons), sevenfold.
From 2014 to 2024, the average annual rate of growth in terms of the volume of dried, undried and frozen pasta and pasta products imports stood at +4.1%. Couscous recorded +9.8% per year and pasta stuffed with meat, fish and cheese recorded -7.8% per year.
The stuffed pasta and couscous price amounted to US$1,399 per ton, rising by 15% against the previous year. Over the last decade, it increased at an average annual rate of +1.9%.
As a result, import price attained the peak level and is likely to continue growth in the immediate term. There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major supplying countries.
In 2024, amid the top importers, the country with the highest price was Italy (US$2,296 per ton), while the price for Mozambique (US$654 per ton) was amongst the lowest. From 2014 to 2024, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Egypt (+16.7%), while the prices for the other major suppliers experienced more modest paces of growth.
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