It seems that Syrah was first planted in South Africa around 1650, making it the first country outside France where this variety was grown.

Also referred to locally as Hermitage, Syrah is grown in the Stellenbosch and Pearl regions. In 2005, Syrah plantings in South Africa were estimated at more than 9,700 hectares. Out of the total of 100,200 ha currently planted to grapevines in South Africa, Syrah represents 9%, placing it in front of the local varietal Pinotage, which has gone down to 7%.