South Africa’s agriculture is thriving

Loading player...
There has been an emerging narrative that South Africa's agriculture has not
performed well recently.
Inept municipalities, poor road infrastructure, stock theft, and port inefficiencies all
contribute to this narrative of failure and despair. Stories of the failings of land reform
farms also add to this sentiment of regression in agricultural progress.
The government's failings over the past decade and the lack of implementation of
many development policies also catalysed this narrative.
But this narrative is far from the reality of the South African farming sector.
Regardless of how experts feel about the state's capacity and the government's
policy stance since the dawn of democracy, the one undeniable fact is that the sector
has grown tremendously – and certainly not failing.

Listen to the podcast for more insights.

Richard Humphries and Sam Mkokeli.
9 Feb 2025 English South Africa Investing · Food

Other recent episodes

Zambia has its largest maize harvest on record

Zambia has had an exceptional maize production season. The country is expecting its largest maize crop on record, which will provide an essential cushion ahead of the challenging production season in the upcoming 2026-27 summer. Over the past few months, I have seen various optimistic statements from the country’s Ministry…
17 Aug 7 min

The impact of snowfall on South Africa's agriculture

I am in Pretoria, and we obviously don’t have snowfall here. But I am following the snowfall issue in parts of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, amongst other regions of South Africa. From an agricultural perspective, I am more concerned about its impact on livestock – cattle,…
12 Aug 4 min

A mild rise in tariffs in the US and its impact on SA agriculture

The U.S. government has raised tariffs against several countries under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, on the Acts, Policies, and Practices of 60 Economies Related to the Failure of Each Economy to Impose and Effectively Enforce a Prohibition on the Importation of Goods Produced with Forced Labour[1]…
24 Jul 5 min