PODCAST: Solid exports in South African agriculture

Despite various headwinds throughout the year, South Africa’s agriculture exports for 2022 did not decline as much as some feared. Data for the first 11 months of the year shows exports at a cumulative $11.9bn, up 3% from the same period in 2021.

Moreover, $11.9bn is the second-largest agriculture exports value on record. When we receive the December exports figure in the coming weeks, it is possible that the 2022 agricultural exports could be just under 2021 levels of $12.4bn or even exceed them. 

This data is particularly encouraging since 2022 presented various challenges to agriculture in South Africa. At the start of the year, logistical challenges at the port of Cape Town disrupted the export of table grapes and other deciduous fruits. 

Thankfully, co-operation between Transnet and organised agriculture helped to ease the constraints and opened up channels of communication that were critical for managing the flow of exports and attending to pressing problems.

In this week’s segment, we explore the various challenges the sector faced, and how industry role-players managed to overcome them and realise solid export performance.

You can also read more about various agricultural economic matters we explore regularly on my blog at https://wandilesihlobo.com/ 

Podcast production by: Lwandiso Gwarubana, Richard Humphries and Sam Mkokeli