Written by Wandile SIhlobo, Chief Economist at Agbiz and Presidential Envoy
We are spending this morning in Pretoria with all key agricultural commodity leaders, organised agriculture leaders, agribusinesses, banks, organised labour, the National Agricultural Marketing Council, and the Department of Agriculture.
We are in discussions about reviving the focus of the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP).
The AAMP is not just about inclusivity or transformation; it is about ensuring growth, job creation, and shared prosperity in the sector. This remains a fundamental document that guides our thinking in South Africa’s agriculture.
South Africa launched its Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP) in May 2022. Since then, the sector has expanded impressively and enjoyed solid growth.
South Africa’s agricultural employment has expanded by 86,000, or 9%, since the launch of the AAMP in Q2 2022, to 960,000 jobs in Q1 2026.
South Africa’s agricultural exports have increased by US$2.3 billion since 2022, up 17% to US$15.1 billion in 2025.
The question that lingers is: where would we be had all the AAMP-related interventions been implemented systematically and effectively?
We would have enjoyed much robust growth and exports. Some of the things we didn’t make much inroads on, which are key, are the release of government land with title deeds, about 2.5 million hectares of PLAS land. This will now be released, and it provides great hope for the sector’s long-term growth prospects.
Logistics inefficiencies negatively affected exports, particularly at the port of Cape Town.
Inefficiencies in municipalities and road networks are additional challenges. Beyond these issues, there are others within the Department of Agriculture’s control that we should make inroads on. Some of these include registering new seed cultivars and conducting genetic analyses.
We also need to consistently build trust in the sector; persistent “them” vs “us” dynamics between business and government remain a core challenge. But trust can be built when all stakeholders deliver on their commitments. The government must lead on this issue.
Our input in the conversation this morning was to provide a high-level view of the sector’s economic conditions and to outline key issues we need to focus on, including the enabling conditions that will unlock growth in the sector.
Again, we emphasised the importance of building trust and delivering within government.
This article first appeared on AgriView. Find it here.
Photo: Regardt van den Bergh on Pexels
