Edmund Morewood plants the first sugarcane on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast

First shipment of KwaZulu-Natal sugar to the Cape

Indentured workers from India arrive

First black owned steam mill at American Board of Missions station at Amanzimtoti

Locusts destroy 40% of sugarcane crop

Sugar output reaches 16 000 tons per annum with 30 mills in operation and 2 600 hectares under sugarcane

Natal Sugar Association formed

Agricultural News and Sugar Planters Gazette launched (Sugar Journal)

Natal Sugar Millers’ Association founded

South African Research Institute – formerly Experiment Station – established

South African Cane Growers’ Association formed

Sugar Act promulgated and first Sugar Industry Agreement published

South Africa becomes foundation member of the first International Sugar Agreement with quota of 209 000 tons

Annual production reaches 475 000 tons with 23 factories operating and 145 000 hectares under cane

Variety NCo310, with more than 40% more sucrose than other varieties, released by SASA

Sugar Milling Research Institute and Grocane Fire Insurance Co-operative Limited established

First bulk shipment of 5 750 tons of raw sugar

South Africa joins post-war International Sugar Agreement (ISA)

Variety NCo376 released by SASA – the dominant variety over the next 40 years

South Africa leaves British Commonwealth but negotiates new bilateral agreement to supply Britain 150 000 tons annually

New markets developed in Canada and Japan

Bilateral agreement with Britain terminated.

South African Sugar Millers’ Association registered – formerly Natal Sugar Millers’ Association.

Bulk Sugar Terminal erected with storage capacity of 180 000 tons

Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education launched

First N variety of cane – bred and selected in Natal – released by SASA

SASA launches Small Growers’ Financial Aid Fund with R5m grant

Industrial Training Centre opened

Domestic consumption reaches one million tons

Bulk Sugar Facility established in Gauteng for domestic market

Severe drought cuts production by 750 000 tons

Price Stabilisation Fund borrowings reach R327 million

Cane transport scheme transfers cost responsibility to growers

Quarantine glasshouse moved from Botanic Gardens to Mt Edgecombe

A and B pool systems introduced Record sugar production of 2,370 million tons

Political sanctions lead to loss of Canadian and USA markets

Small-scale grower production exceeds 1,5 million tons (worth R51m)

Floods disrupt mills and cane areas in KwaZulu-Natal

N21 released – first eldana resistant variety

R1 m project to expand industry production by 300 000 tons

Industry proceeds exceed R2 billion for one season

USA quota restored at 2,3% equating to 26 000 tons per annum

First year of four-year drought reduces production to 1,5m tons

Small Grower Development Trust launched

Drought in 1993/94 season reduces production to 1,171m tons

Introduction of phased deregulation programme

Sugar Industry Central Board disbanded

Drought restricts production to 1,67m tons in 1995/96

R12 million Siyakha programme launched by President Mandela

Production increases to 2,2m tons

Illovo Sugar Ltd consolidates its leading position in southern Africa with the acquisition of Lonrho’s sugar division for R1,62 billion

Pools system of sucrose payments ends

Record crop in 1998/99 at 2,646 m tons of sugar SASA, growers and millers move to KwaShukela in Mt Edgecombe

Record crop in 2000/2001 at 2,729 million tons of sugar. Launch of Umthombo Agricultural Finance (formerly Financial Aid Fund)

SA chairs the International Sugar Organisation (ISO) for the first time ISO Council held in Durban in May 2002

Record crop of 2,763 tons of sugar

Industrial Training Centre (ITC) changes name to Shukela Training Centre (STC)

Illovo Sugar Ltd sells Gledhow Mill to a black empowerment group

South African Sugar Experiment Station (SASEX) changes name to South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI)

Inkezo Land Company established

Illovo Sugar Ltd sells Umfolozi Mill to a black empowerment group – Umvoti Transport Ltd

SASA purchases 25% share in Maputo Sugar Terminal

Highest world sugar price in twenty-five years

Opening of STAM Terminal in Maputo

Sugar Journal turns 90 years old

The 2006/07 season dips to the lowest level in 10 years with 2,226 million tons of sugar

Shukela Training Centre changes from a division of SASA to a wholly owned subsidiary of SASA now called Shukela Training Centre (Pty) Ltd

SASA appointed as the implementing agent for a KZN Government fertiliser project whereby R60 million of fertiliser is distributed to embattled KZN small scale growers

The 2009/2010 season production drops further to a 15-year low of 2,178 million tons of sugar

The world raw sugar market price reaches a 29-year high of 30.33 US c/lb2010

Sugar production for 2010/11 season drops to 1,909 million tons

150th Year Commemoration of the arrival of Indian people in SA

National Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development commends industry on the transfer of 21% of freehold land under sugarcane production to black growers

The lack of an effective tariff for several years sees sugar imports of some 350 000 tons per annum, displacing SA sugar and threatening the industry's sustainability

The Dollar Based Reference Price is reviewed after six years and set at US$ 566 per ton, up from US$ 358 per ton gazetted in 2008. Deep sea imports have slowed somewhat

Drought takes its toll on the industry as the 2015/2016 crop drops to 1,634 tons sugar making it the lowest crop since 1995 when drought restricted production to 1,667 tons sugar

Low world price and ineffective import protection results in significant increase in deep sea imports into South Africa. The International Trade Administration Commission reviews the methodology of tariff protection, reducing the effective duty on sugar

Over 500 000 tons of deep sea imports enter South Africa, SASA makes urgent appeal to government departments for assistance

With support from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Economic Development, SASA makes an urgent application to the International Trade Administration Commission to review the Dollar-Based Reference Price to stop the flood of imports. Over 2000 industry stakeholders, mainly small-scale black farmers, march to Pretoria in support of the application. In August 2018, a new DBRP of $680 is gazetted

On 9 October 2018 the government gazettes the notice for transitional provisions in terms of the Sugar Act 1978. Signed by Dr Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry, the notice amends the Constitution of the South African Sugar Association (SASA); and the Sugar Industry Agreement, and is effective from 1 April 2018. As a result SASA now has three members – the South African Sugar Millers’ Association, South African Farmers Development Association and South African Cane Growers’ Association