Now that the elections are behind us, the broader economic discussions are likely to remain focused on two crucial subjects - growth and jobs. In this, agriculture has a role to play and President Cyril Ramaphosa made this point clear in his 2019 state of the nation address. One of the key reasons for increased emphasis on the role of agriculture is its potential to boost rural economic growth, and absorb unskilled and semi-skilled labour with a relatively high multiplier -the number of jobs created for every rand invested in the sector. Unemployment in SA rose to 27.6% in the first quarter of 2019, with youth unemployment at a staggering 55.2%. Agriculture can make a substantial contribution to job creation in rural areas. We have been punting potential agricultural employment for a while, with some pushback from a couple of analysts who view this sector as a nonstarter when it comes to job creation. In their arguments, they typically raise the issue of the fourth industrial revolu...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.