Agribusiness is a broad concept that covers input suppliers, agro-processors, traders, exporters and retailers. Agribusiness provides inputs to farmers and connects them to consumers through the financing, handling, processing, storage, transportation, marketing and distribution of agro-industry products and can be decomposed further into four main groups:
Source: The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), as found at https://www.agbiz.co.za/content/about-us?page=what-is-agribusiness
The changes in South Africa reflect the UNIDO definition. A look at the membership of Agbiz (see “Companies involved” heading) shows a wide spectrum of companies in addition to the former co-operatives, now operating as companies.
Over the past few years The World Bank published two publications, viz. “Agribusiness and Innovation Systems in Africa”, and “Growing Africa: Unlocking the potential of Agribusiness”, emphasizing the critically important role that agribusiness needs to play in Africa’s development.
Agriculture and agribusiness together are projected to be a US$ 1,0 trillion industry in Sub-Sahara Africa by 2030, compared to US$ 313 billion in 2010 , and they should thus be at the top of the agenda for economic transformation and development. Agribusiness can play a critical role in jump-starting economic transformation through the development of agro-based industries that provide much-needed jobs and incomes. Successful agribusiness investments in turn stimulate agricultural growth through the provision of new and expanded markets, and the development of a vibrant input sector.
Source: Dr John Purchase
South Africa has a relatively well-developed agribusiness sector, constituted by a:
These sub-sectors all play a major role in ensuring that most South African agro-food value chains are, generally speaking, globally competitive, thus ensuring a positive agricultural trade balance and a relatively good level of national food security. As is the practice internationally, South Africa has also embarked on an exercise of mapping value chains, primarily to achieve greater efficiencies, but also to identify specific constraints and to ascertain fair value capture in the value chain by role players.
It is critical that agribusinesses:
Source: Dr John Purchase
Note: Click to expand the headings below. In 2022 the role players below were affiliated to Agbiz (refer to the Agbiz website for the latest list). To get a free listing on our website like the ones below, visit here for more information or place your order here. Disclaimer: The role player listings are not vetted by this website.
Further reference:
Agbiz supports its member organisations “by creating an environment within which they are enabled to operate as competitive and innovative business enterprises”. Agbiz is affiliated to Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA). It works in association with international organisations such as:
Several associations and industry bodies are also affiliated to Agbiz. Find their details above.
Visit the websites listed earlier on this page.
