Articles



Year Article
2024 South Africa's agricultural exports hit a new record despite logistical constraints
South Africa's agricultural exports hit a new record despite logistical constraints
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2022 South Africa's agricultural exports hit a new record high of US$12,4 billion in 2021
The need to improve logistics efficiency and curb the deterioration of infrastructure remains a topical issue in South Africa's agriculture. Farming communities and agribusinesses might work to improve productivity on the farms, but the ultimate goal for some agricultural commodities producers is to reach export markets. However, achieving this is not only a function of output, but also the various trade agreements that South Africa has with other countries and the efficiency of logistical infrastructure locally. In 2021, the cyberattacks at Transnet, vandalism of rail infrastructure, poor road networks across the country, which the heavy rains have now exacerbated, and inefficiencies at the ports at various periods were the key risks to South Africa's agricultural export drive.
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2021 New opportunities for South African agriculture: the African Continental Free Trade Area
The new African Free Continental Trade Area phases out 90% of tariffs on all goods traded between African Union member states over a 5 to 10 year period. This seeks to boost intra-African trade and investment in regional value chains.
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2021 South Africa’s agricultural exports registered the second-largest level on record in 2020
South Africa's agricultural exports amounted to US$10,2 billion in 2020, which is a 3% increase from the previous year. This is the second-largest level after the record exports of US$10,7 billion in 2018.
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2020 South Africa’s commercial and seed potato exports: Identifying potential market opportunities in Africa
South Africa is the second largest exporter of both potato and potato seed in Africa, accumulating over R2 billion in export revenues over the past five years. Also available to download is a presentation on this article.
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2015 Identifying strategic export markets for SA sorghum industry
This year, South Africa is confronted by drought and the country is expected to be a net importer of grains. Nonetheless, that does not cease the need to grow export markets for the South African grain industry, especially since the industry faces the challenge of high export concentrations in traditional markets.
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2014 The trade effects of technical barriers on South Africa’s orange exports
The paper employs a gravity model to measure the trade effects of technical barriers in South Africa’s major markets for oranges. The gravity model estimation is backed by a price-wedge framework that identifies technical barriers (equivalent to tariffs) that could be restricting South Africa’s orange exports.
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2014 Identifying strategic markets for South Africa's citrus exports
The article identifies South Africa’s strategic citrus markets among its major export partners using three complementary methodologies
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2014 South Africa’s maize exports: A Strategic Export Market Analysis model approach
Outside of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and certain Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, South Africa’s maize exports are generally irregular and inconsistent. This lack of consistency is primarily attributed to uneven surplus levels which, in certain years, preclude South Africa’s regular participation in larger import markets.
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2013 Modelling the impact of the ‘fast track’ land reform policy on maize sector
Zimbabwe has recently gone through a widely criticised land reform process that is argued to be the cause of subdued agricultural production. This paper attempts to present a counterfactual picture of the maize market in Zimbabwe had land reform been managed appropriately.
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