Sugar Master Plan

SASA At A Glance

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Role of SASA

SASA is governed by the Sugar Act 1978, the Sugar Industry Agreement, 2000, amended 2018 (SIA) and the SASA Constitution, amended 2018. To access the Transitional Provisions, click here. The administration of SASA Council is governed by the SASA Constitution. Through SASA Council and its appointed committees, SASA ensures that its ethical foundation is entrenched by making informed and responsible decisions aimed at maintaining the sustainability of the sugar industry. The Independent SASA Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons are responsible for the overall leadership of SASA. The Executive Director is responsible for the execution of SASA’s mandate and approved strategy and its day-to-day operations including the maintenance of a fair workplace which includes employment equity, fair remuneration and the safety, health, dignity and development of employees. The Executive Director is supported by the executive management team.

SASA operates from 45 sites in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng. These include Kwa-Shukela and SASRI based in Mount Edgecombe, the Shukela Training Centre at Mount Edgecombe, the Sugar Terminal at Maydon Wharf, the Sugar Terminal at Maputo, 13 Cane Testing centres, seven SASRI research stations, 17 SASRI offices (Biosecurity), the Mtunzini Training Centre and the SASA Pretoria offices.

SASA is an extremely diverse organisation employing approximately 1000 people in a wide range of specialist areas. As our overall purpose in SASA is to promote the sustainability of the South African sugar industry, which in turn is a major source of livelihood for some 2% of the South African population.

Services that Support the Attainment of the Goals of the Industry Partnership

SASA’s support services to the industry partnership are provided directly to the Growers’ Section (South African Cane Growers’ Association NPC and South African Farmers’ Development Association) and the Millers’ Section (South African Sugar Millers’ Association NPC) and councillors of and delegates to the South African Sugar Association. These services include:

  • Administration and facilitation of compliance to industry legislation and of industry partnership decision-making processes (Industry Affairs).
  • Cane payment technical audit function performed by the Cane Testing Service.
  • Support to the maintenance and growth of the local sugar market provided from the National Market department of the Sugar Markets and Logistics Division and the Nutrition Department of External Affairs.
  • Management of the export marketing of raw bulk sugar (Sugar Markets and Logistics).
  • Management of the industry’s relationship with the external stakeholders, its contribution to the broader community (External Affairs).
  • Management of a Land Reform service that facilitates the development of policy that has the support of government (Land Reform).
  • Management of industry finance and treasury functions (Finance).

    Services that Support the Cane Growing and Sugar Manufacturing Sectors of the Industry

    SASA’s specialist support services to cane growing and sugar manufacturing sectors of the industry are provided directly to growers, to mills and to local structures. These services include:

    • Management of support services that facilitate the provision of development finance to growers (Umthombo Agricultural Finance).
    • Undertaking of research that enables the development of suitable cane varieties and optimal crop management practices for the regions in which the industry operates and that informs the effective management of sugar cane farming; and the provision of associated services that ensure that advice and knowledge is transferred to the growing community and that the industry’s biosecurity risk is managed (Sugarcane Research Institute).
    • Delivery of a cane testing service that ensures the impartial determination of recoverable value (RV) for cane payment (Cane Testing Service) and the provision of a Laboratory Information Management System that enables this while providing other niche IT services to the industry (Autolab).
    • The development of agricultural and engineering skills necessary for the effective performance of employees in both the agricultural and milling sectors, including apprentice training and artisan trade testing (Shukela Training Centre).
    • The determination of industry proceeds for the calculation of the accurate recoverable value (RV) price for cane (Sugar Markets).
    • The continued support to the Mill Group Boards to assist in the compliance to industry legislation (Industry Affairs).