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Trade

Italy - Traditional Italian pasta triumphs in South Africa

In 2015, 33% of Italian pasta was exported to countries outside the EU

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South AfricaSouthern African Development Community (SADC)
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Exporters' stories
EU exporter
Italy

Pasta Astorino, a family business from Crotone, Calabria, produces and sells pasta in Italy and abroad. The EU-South Africa trade agreement enabled Pasta Astorino to start doing business in South Africa, and the company exported 1 tonne of pasta there in 2015.

There is a big demand among South African importers for Pasta Astorino’s real Italian pasta, produced with a traditional variety of wheat. Working with universities and research centres, Astorino has reintroduced old-style Italian wheat varieties, such as 'Senatore Cappelli', long since abandoned by larger producers in favour of more productive grain types.

Local businesses supplying have also benefited from the EU trade deal. For instance, the mill where 'Senatore Cappelli' wheat is grown and ground into flour for Pasta Astorino has bought new fields and hired an additional employee to meet the rising international demand.

The EU-South Africa trade agreement has led to considerable increases in European pasta exports to South Africa, both in terms of value (42.5%) and quantity (67%).

Find out more about the EU's trade relations with South Africa