Various Mycoflora (fungi) were isolated from diseased rice plants and rice seeds within some rice growing regions of South Africa. The isolates of various fungi were initially identified on the basis of their morphological characteristics and the identification of the representative isolates of Fusarium spp. were confirmed based on the DNA sequence of the translation elongation factor 1 –a (TEF – 1-a) gene. A total of six species of Fusarium were identified namely, F. anthophilum, F. chlamydosporum, F. compactum, F. equiseti, F. fujikuroi and F. semitectum. This is the first report regarding the Fusarium species from rice in South Africa. Fusarium anthophilum has not been found associated with bakanae disease of rice in South Africa. Fusarium anthophilum has not been found to be associated with bakanae disease of rice from any country of the world before. Fungi other than Fusarium spp. were also isolated and identified only on the basis of their morphological characteristics. A total of eight other species of fungi were identified namely, Alternaria alternate, Alternata longipes, Cochliobolus miyabeanus, Nigrospora sphaerica, Phoma eupyrena, Phoma jolyana, Phoma sorghina and Pithomyces sp. It is the first report regarding A. alternate, A. longipes, N. sphaerica, P. eupyrena, P. jolyana and Pithomyces sp. from rice in South Africa. This paper therefore looks at salient issues concerning rice, in order to contribute to the science of rice cultivation. The paper underscores the importance to identify pathogenic and toxigenic fungi correctly for effective disease control management, quarantine purposes and as a basis for making decisions to protect agricultural crops as well as other natural resources according to Rossman and Palm – Hernandez (2008) and Heng et al (2011). South Africa is made up of Nine Provinces and this research straddled four of the provinces. It is in these four provinces that the bulk of South Africa’s small production of rice is grown. Experts from Taiwan during the days of the homeland Bantustans (1976) were brought into these homelands particularly Bophuthatswana which included parts of today’s Northern Cape Province, the North West Province and, parts of today’s Free State Province to grow rice and vegetables and, to explore fish farming opportunities. The departure of the Taiwanese experts before the collapse of the homeland system precipitated the virtual collapse of the rice growing opportunities. The Mpumalanga province was not part of this arrangement but, it overlapped into at least two of today’s provinces. Given the shortage of food worldwide and extreme levels of poverty in South Africa, it might be a feasible idea for the South African government to intensify the possibilities of growing rice in some provinces that have past experience in this regard. The importance of research in rice can therefore, not be under – estimated in the agricultural dynamic of South Africa and must be further explored.
