Severe hailstorms lashing Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal have left farmers counting massive losses, with the South African Weather Service (Saws) recently issuing rare Orange Level 5 warnings for destructive storms, large hail and flash flooding.
According to Hanjo Fourie, Business Head of Underwriting: Agri Crop at Santam Specialist Solutions, commercial farms are seeing shattered irrigation systems and flattened crops, while smallholder producers without cover face total ruin.
“One storm can erase a season’s investment and push vulnerable farmers into inescapable poverty,” said Fourie.
The damage extends far beyond the field, Fourie explains.
Climate change hitting farmers hard
Idle packhouses, lost wages, disrupted supply chains and downgraded export fruit due to cosmetic blemishes, all erode earnings. And they threaten food security when staple crops like maize are hit at critical growth stages.
Fourie said hail events have grown both more frequent and more ferocious over recent decades.
“Climate change is delivering stronger updrafts and higher freezing levels. Meaning we’re seeing larger, more destructive hailstones even in areas previously considered lower risk.
“Storm timing is also shifting outside the traditional October–March window, making risk harder to predict.”
He said high-value crops such as citrus, grapes and stone fruit are especially exposed. Visible hail marks render premium produce unsellable on export markets despite being perfectly edible.
Crop insurance vital survival tool
“Crop insurance has become non-negotiable. It protects farmers from crippling debt. It also improves access to credit and allows reinvestment in resilient practices. Yet many emerging farmers still view it as unaffordable or believe pay-outs are unreliable,” he added.
He pointed out that innovative, lower-cost index-based products are now broadening access for smaller operations.
“As climate volatility intensifies, insurance is shifting from a luxury for commercial farmers. It is now… a fundamental pillar of survival for every producer in South Africa.”
Fourie warns that the future of summer-rainfall agriculture depends on widespread adoption of proper risk transfer tools. Especially With fiercer, less predictable storms on the horizon.
