South Africa’s oils and fats manufacturing sector is dominated by vegetable oils and fat, and sunflower oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil in the country. South Africa is a net importer of edible oils, which include sunflower, soybean and palm oil as it does not produce enough to meet demand.
Who buys vegetable seed oils in South Africa?
The market for vegetable seed oils in South Africa is divided into local buyers and international buyers. Local buyers include marketing agents and companies from chemical and pharmaceutical as well as food and flavouring industries.
Are essential and vegetable oils a problem in South Africa?
Although South Africa is blessed with an abundance of essential and vegetable oil plant material, the challenge is to consistently produce good quality oils and to ensure a constant supply. These challenges have been identified as critical technical barriers to international market access for South Africa’s essential and vegetable oils.
Can vegetable seed oil be dried in South Africa?
Contamination through foreign matter, weeds, or other undesired plants can have a detrimental effect on the quality and acceptability of the final oils. Although experiments on drying harvested vegetable seed oil material have been tried, it is not prevalent in South Africa.