• A South African delegation visited Vietnam and Malaysia to promote meat exports to Asia.

• Talks are underway to open markets for beef, pork, and lamb in Southeast Asia.

• Asia already accounts for about 55% of South Africa’s $409.6 million meat export revenue.

South Africa aims to expand its meat exports across Asian markets. A delegation led by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and private sector representatives, including Louw van Reenen, chairman of the Beefmaster Group, joined President Cyril Ramaphosa during his visit to Vietnam and the 47th ASEAN Summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from October 23 to 28.

According to local media reports, the government is in talks to accelerate market access for South African meat products—such as beef, pork, and lamb—in Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, Vietnam, and Singapore. Through this initiative, Pretoria seeks to diversify export destinations and boost earnings for the local meat industry.

“Our industry is working hard to open these markets, and we’re making good progress. Together, they represent around 700 million people, with rising demand for quality protein products, and many more opportunities likely to follow once access is established,” said van Reenen.

Data from the Trademap platform show that South Africa exported about $409.6 million worth of meat products globally, with nearly 55% of that revenue coming from Asian countries.