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Expropriation Act – separating fact from fiction
In January 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act into law. The president’s signature followed an intensive consultation process spanning 12 years, numerous written inputs, two Nedlac processes, and two parliamentary processes. The final act in the legislative process triggered fierce responses from civil society groups, political parties, and various interest groups. Some hailed it as a landmark change in land reform policy whilst others condemned it as the end of private property rights as we know them. We don’t have insight into the cabinet processes that should or should not be followed, but the content of the Act doesn’t support either camp’s conclusions. To place the Act’s actual impact into context, some common misconceptions must be clarified.
Published: 29/01/2025
MoreAgbiz presents its concerns at Petroleum Products Draft Bill public hearings
In the December newsletter, we shared some of Agbiz’s concerns regarding the Petroleum Products Draft Bill. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy conducted online public hearings into the bill on 17 January. A number of organisations, including Agbiz, participated in the public hearings.
Published: 20/01/2025
MoreBreaking the inertia in SA agriculture and land policy implementation in 2025
The South African agriculture and land policy discourse risks entering a space of inertia like much of the country's developmental agenda. More than three years ago, we knew that the South African government over the years acquired about 2,5 million hectares of land through its Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy. Much of this land was previously utilized for various farming activities. Currently, some of the land is underutilized, and some is under short-term leases to farmers who struggle to access the necessary capital to unlock the land potential.
Published: 20/01/2025
MoreSouth Africa's fresh produce markets and competition issues
Today, the Competition Commission of South Africa released its final Report on the Fresh Produce Market Inquiry (FPMI). The authors came to the same views we held for years, clearly highlighted in the NAMC's Report on the National Fresh Produce Markets some years ago. So, in essence, the Commission's Report is a valuable resource about the industry's structure and price developments and primarily provides sensible and correct findings. The Report reaffirmed the importance of fresh produce markets in price discovery and food security.
Published: 14/01/2025
MoreSouth Africa must focus on China and the Middle East for agricultural trade and investments
Now that South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has concluded a state visit to China, a country with much promise for deepening agricultural trade, the next stop should be the Middle East.
Published: 18/09/2024
MoreThe Agriculture Budget Vote Speech presented a positive message for the sector
The national government departments, among other things, are primary policy-making bodies. Thus, it is always wise to listen to the leadership of each department when they make significant speeches. Today was one such day where the political leadership of the Department of Agriculture, Minister John Steenhuisen, tabled his Budget Vote Speech.
Published: 17/07/2024
MoreGreat news for South Africa’s beef industry
One positive bit of news I noticed this week is about South Africa's beef industry, with an encouraging headline stating, "Saudi Arabia to start South African meat imports asban ends". This means everything is now in order for Saudi Arabia to import beef from South Africa.
Published: 25/01/2024
MoreAgro Energy Fund: A Milestone for Agricultural Resilience
The launch of the Agro Energy Fund marks a pivotal step in addressing energy challenges in South Africa's agricultural sector. Led by a dedicated energy task team, this cooperative effort aims to counter the impact of energy cuts on farming. Spearheaded by Minister Thoko Didiza, the initiative unites stakeholders like Agbiz, Agri SA, and the Land Bank to ensure sector stability. With a focus on energy-intensive activities, the fund supports renewable energy adoption, securing productivity, and promoting sustainability for a resilient agricultural future. This collaborative endeavor sets a precedent for positive change in the industry.
Published: 31/08/2023
MoreBRICS Agribusiness sectors and the 15th BRICS Summit
The much awaited 15th BRICS Summit and attendant dtic-BRICS Business Council (BBC) events have been held from 13-23 August 2023. Heads of state from all BRICS States except Russia are attending in person, together with business and governmental delegations. The BRICS Summits allows the agribusiness sectors across BRICS an opportunity to profile agriculture and agro-processing and seek agreement on measures and commitments to facilitate trade.
Published: 29/08/2023
MoreChallenges facing the SA livestock industry
South Africa's livestock industry has faced numerous challenges over the past few years. One of these was the rise in feed prices since 2020, especially for maize and soybeans. The rise in animal feed prices coincided with a worsening in consumers financial strain due to the damaging effects of the pandemic. Thus, we saw a decline in the demand for red meat products as consumers opted for relatively cheaper forms of protein. Moreover, the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) to six of South Africa's nine provinces for the first time in history was another challenge for the industry. This brought temporary bans in certain export markets, extending to auctions and livestock movement, mainly cattle, for some time in 2022.
Published: 20/04/2023
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