A practical starting point for sourcing seed into South Africa. Requirements depend on the crop, variety, country, quantity and what the seed will be used for.
Check the botanical crop and approved variety name. Individual varietal listing is required for some crops; for categories marked “All varieties”, individual listing is not required.
Import permission and permission to sell, multiply or distribute seed are distinct. Confirm the activities covered by the applicable approval.
Variety list & applicationCheck the exact species and production country with South Africa’s National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPOZA). Requirements can include an import permit, phytosanitary certificate, treatments, inspection or quarantine.
Where an import-permit exemption applies, its phytosanitary conditions still apply.
Plant health sourcesConfirm GMO status and any event information. The activity determines the application: import, contained use, trial release and general release have separate requirements.
Commodity clearance for food, feed or processing excludes planting.
Official GMO guidanceConfirm the scientific crop name, variety or synonym, supplier, production country, dispatch country, seed treatment and GMO status.
Establish whether varietal listing applies and whether the seed is for commercial cultivation, evaluation, breeding or another purpose.
Obtain the required written authorisations and plant health documents before shipment. Check quantity, use, labelling, inspection and any distribution conditions.
Agree the quotation, pack or bulk quantity, lot information and delivery arrangements. Keep the approvals and accompanying documents with the consignment records.
Links open the issuing authority’s website. Each document keeps its own date or edition; the source check date records this guide’s review.
Check whether listing is required, then use the application for the relevant route.
December 2025 edition. Check the botanical crop and approved denomination or synonym. Where the list says “All varieties”, individual varietal listing is not required; confirm current crop requirements and later changes with the Registrar.
Form under sections 22 and 43 of the Plant Improvement Act, 2018. Submit electronically to the Registrar before arrival. State the variety, purpose, mass, supplier and production country.
Check the conditions for the exact species, country of origin and intended activity.
Official guidance on permit requirements, exemptions, exporting-country phytosanitary certification, inspection and release. Confirm the conditions for the consignment with NPPOZA.
Application for controlled goods under the Agricultural Pests Act, 1983. The form asks for scientific and common names, origin, quantity, supplier, port and purpose. Follow the current submission instructions.
Use the official activity-specific permit guidance and application links. Import, contained use, trial release and general release are distinct activities. Commodity clearance for food, feed or processing excludes planting.
Read publication dates together with commencement notices and subsequent amendments.
Sections 22 and 43 cover sale requirements and import controls, including conditional written exemptions and authorisations. Read the Act with the current regulations and amendments.
Department confirmation that the 2018 Act and its regulations commenced on 1 December 2025, replacing the 1976 Plant Improvement Act framework.
Original regulations published with the 2025 commencement. Use this publication together with subsequent amendments when checking the current requirements.
Official notice of the May 2026 amendment, R.7523. Check the amendment alongside the original regulations and confirm the requirements for the exact crop.
The official Act page states “To be proclaimed” for commencement as checked on 16 October 2026. Publication alone does not make it the operative import-permit framework.
The Plant Improvement Act, 2018 and its regulations commenced on 1 December 2025. Read them with subsequent amendments. The Plant Health (Phytosanitary) Act, 2024 is enacted, but the official page still records commencement as “To be proclaimed” at this guide’s check date.
Dated editions are snapshots. Drafts and archived guidance need their status checked before use; they do not establish approval for a consignment. Confirm current requirements and forms with the relevant Registrar before arranging shipment.
Include the crop and variety, quantity, supplier or origin, intended use, growing location and target planting date. Add any existing documents to your enquiry when requested.
Start a sourcing requestFor a trial, also explain what you want to evaluate and whether seed will be supplied to other growers.
Browse the sourcing catalogue