South Africa has a comparative (relative) advantage over France in the production of maize if it produces maize at a lower opportunity cost than France.
Comparative advantage occurs when a country can produce a good at a lower opportunity cost compared to another country, meaning it sacrifices less of other goods when producing that good. This concept is central to international trade, as it allows countries to specialize in the production of goods that they can produce more efficiently relative to others, leading to more efficient resource allocation and higher overall economic output.