On 1 December 2025, South Africa’s Plant Improvement Act No. 11 of 2018 officially came into effect, repealing the long standing Plant Improvement Act No. 53 of 1976. The effective date was published in Government Gazette No. 53707 of 21 November 2025 by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), marking a significant modernisation of the country’s regulatory framework for plants and propagating material.

The new Act introduces modernised registration procedures for businesses operating in the plant breeding and distribution sector, establishes quality standards and conditions of sale together with procedures for the evaluation and national listing of plant varieties, and imposes stricter measures on the import and export of propagating material.

The new legislation is expected to enhance transparency, improve efficiency, and support innovation in the country’s agricultural sector, aligning South Africa’s legal framework with international best practices.