The Trump administration has signaled a sweeping shift in its engagement with Africa, placing trade and investment—not aid—at the center of U.S. foreign policy toward the continent. At the Africa CEO Forum held in Abidjan last week, Troy Fitrell, the Senior Bureau Official leading the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, announced a new six-point U.S. trade strategy for Africa that seeks to deepen commercial ties and “finally reverse decades of stagnation” in U.S.-Africa trade. The strategy—revealed at the inaugural American Chambers of Commerce (AmCham) summit, hosted in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire—prioritizes commercial diplomacy, trade reforms, sustainable infrastructure, business missions, stronger export linkages, and a revamp of U.S. trade promotion tools. It may be too early to tell what all this means. “It’s time to move from assistance to partnership,” Fitrell, who recently served as United States Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea, said at the event. “Assistance involves a donor and a recipient, but commerce is an exchange between equals.” Click here to read full article.

Hundreds of thousands of jobs and the future of South Africa’s motor manufacturing industry and agriculture rest on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s meeting with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, in Washington on Wednesday, 21 May. It’s a high-stakes meeting, says Citi South Africa MD Gina Schoeman. She thinks it could go one of three ways, with greater risk to the downside. “What if they don’t meet?” she says, outlining her worst-case scenario, adding that she wouldn’t put a high probability on this happening. The upside, she says, would be “a conversation that takes place formally and with courtesy. They agree on what they will negotiate on in future.” That would be a relief, says Schoeman. The best-case scenario, or what she calls “the big upside with low probability,” is if “the meeting was purely about economic issues (exports, imports, and bilateral trade agreements)”. But the meeting is profoundly political, with efforts in Congress to review the US’s relationship with South Africa and consider sanctions against the ANC — a call that resonates with what AfriForum and Solidarity have pushed for. Click here to read full article.

A day after 59 white South Africans were welcomed to America as refugees, more than 86,000 South African farmers — who are mostly white — are gathering this week at the NAMPO Harvest Day trade fair, an annual agricultural exhibition considered the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Over four days, the attendees will discuss innovations in technology, collaborations and various other elements of an industry that last year generated nearly $14 billion in revenue. Notably, according to one participant, there is no planned discussion of violence against white farmers or “Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored, race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation” without compensation, as President Donald Trump wrote in a Feb. 7 executive order that opened the way for the 59 South Africans to come to U.S., despite a ban on refugees from other nations. Click here to read full article by nbcnews.com.

The Minister of Employment and Labour gazetted the final employment equity sectoral targets on 15 April 2025. This was the last step in a process that started in 2018 when the amendments to the Employment Equity Amendment Bill were discussed in NEDLAC and then in Parliament from 2020. The Bill was finally signed into law on 5 April 2023 and commenced on 1 January 2025. The Department of Employment and Labour conducted some consultations on the proposed targets, but agriculture was lumped together with the forestry and fisheries sector and although Agbiz engaged throughout and submitted a number of comprehensive submissions, the final targets are not at all in line with what Agbiz regards as realistic. The final targets are as follows: Top Management: 34% from designated groups with 20,8% female and 13.2% male, Senior management: 52,6% from designated groups, with 21.6% male and 31% female, Professionally qualified: 76.4% with 34.7% male and 41.7% female, Skilled technical: 93.8%, with 49.8% male and 44% female, Disabled people: 3%. Click here to read full article by Annelize Crosby and Thapelo Machaba.

We have been saying for some time that 2025 will be a recovery year for South Africa’s agriculture, mainly highlighting the gains in grains, soybeans and horticulture yields. But I was particularly pleased on 8 May, when I received a report from South Africa Wine (SA Wine) indicating that we would have an excellent harvest this year. SA Wine and Vinpro forecasts South Africa’s wine grapes harvest to be 1.244 million tonnes, an 11% recovery from the exceptionally poor harvest in 2024. Importantly, the quality promises to be excellent. The essence captured by this statement from SA Wine: “Mild, dry weather created near-perfect ripening conditions, yielding fruit with superb balance, flavour and structure — the foundation of premium wine production.” With the harvest like this, our preoccupation for the coming months will continue to be the export markets and logistics. Indeed, the US market has dominated the trade conversation in recent weeks. However, long before President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the South African wine industry and the entire agricultural sector had been focused on expanding export markets beyond the existing ones. Click here to read full article by Wandile Sihlobo.

Many crops and value chains have shown dramatic progress in recent years. Their exemplary progress should inspire further growth in this sector. I often write about South Africa’s soybean success story, whose production increased from 67,700 tonnes in the 1993-94 production season to an expected 2,3 million tonnes in 2024-25. This, in turn, has been driven by an increase in the demand for high-protein food, particularly poultry products. But soybeans aren’t the only success story in South Africa’s vegetable oils cluster. Canola is also an agricultural success story. Since South African farmers planted the crop commercially on 17,000 hectares in 1998-99, the area has increased to an estimated 165,750 hectares in 2024-25. For the new season of 2025-26, the farmers plan to increase the area to 166,500 hectares. Like soybeans, the catalyst behind the increase in canola plantings is a rise in domestic demand or usage for oils and oilcake. South Africa is now a net canola exporter, recently exporting to countries such as Germany and Belgium. Click here to read full article by Wandile Sihlobo.

South Africa's consumer food price inflation accelerated to 3,3% in April, from 2,2% in the previous month. This increase was underpinned by the rise in price inflation of most of the products in the food basket, but most notably the cereal products, meat, oils and fats, and vegetables. This is unsurprising and reflects the pass-through of the higher agricultural commodity prices we observed at the end of last year and into the start of 2025, particularly with grains. In the case of meat, price increases are expected as a response to the slight recovery in consumer demand, which we have been highlighting in recent months. In the case of vegetables, we see the increases as a reflection of disruptions in field work caused by the excessive rains in recent weeks, which should be a temporary blip. Looking ahead, we suspect that the current mild quickening of food price inflation will prevail for much of the year's second and third quarters as the increases in the farm level of some of the key products, such as grains, continue to pass through to the retail level. Click here to read full report by Wandile Sihlobo.

A few days ago, I signalled the need for us to continuously watch the weather prospects as South Africa’s winter crop season starts. I was relieved that the latest weather prospects have improved somewhat. There is now a chance of rain in the Western Cape this coming week, and a possibility of mild showers going into next week. (Look at the coloured part of the WC in the SA map). Of course, these are all forecasts; we won’t know for certain until they materialise. The quick changes in the weather forecasts also show the challenge of uncertainty that farmers face when they plan the production season. Fortunately, as I stated a few days ago, they are optimistic that they could plant about 827,970 hectares of winter crops in the 2025-26 season, up by 1% from the previous season. This comprises wheat, barley, canola, oats, and sweet lupines. A closer look at the major crops shows some minor deviations, with all crop area plantings increasing while barley is falling. The farmers intend to plant the 2025-26 wheat crop in 513,200 hectares, up 2% from the previous season. Click here to read full article.

While encouraging, South African agricultural employment was not as robust as some may have anticipated in the first quarter. The data released by Stats SA show that primary agriculture employment increased mildly by 1% from the last quarter of 2024 to 930k jobs in the first quarter of 2025. Field crops, game, and hunting are the subsectors that underpin this improvement in employment conditions. However, from an annual perspective, the employment was down 1%, unchanged from the first quarter of 2024. This suggests that while the agricultural sector is recovering, supported by the favourable weather conditions, financial difficulties from the previous year remain, and the recovery remains uneven amongst subsectors and regions. Encouragingly, the primary agricultural employment of 930k people is well above the long-term jobs of 799k. From a regional perspective, the Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga are the provinces that registered quarterly job losses. Click here to read full report by Wandile Sihlobo.

While I remain optimistic about South Africa’s agricultural prospects for 2025, I must acknowledge that the recovery will likely be uneven across value chains and regions. Some areas, mainly summer grains and oilseeds, will take a while to fully recover financially from the pressures of the past season’s mid-summer drought. In the 2024-25 season, which is generally favourable, the excessive rains in April may also have caused crop quality damage in a few areas, bringing a slight financial strain. In the case of livestock, some are still recovering from the recent animal disease outbreaks and are now affected by new ones. Animal diseases will also add immense economic pressure on beef farmers, especially in the current environment where consumers can’t absorb much of the products, and exports are key to the industry’s sustainability. These reasons, amongst other factors, will also cause the agricultural jobs market to be less robust than we anticipated at the start of the year. Click here to read full article by Wandile Sihlobo.

We haven’t received the early winter rains in the Western Cape. The weather forecasts through the end of May are concerning. They show clear skies across the province, which means there is minimal chance for notable rain. The Western Cape is key, producing more than two-thirds of South Africa’s winter crops. Still, this is no reason to panic; we are still early in the season. The farmers will increase field work in the coming days, preparing the land for planting when we finally get conducive rains. But this season is tricky, and the weather forecast in general so far isn’t as encouraging. For example, in its monthly Seasonal Climate Watch released on 2 May, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) signalled a worrying outlook about the rain prospects for these regions. The SAWS stated, “The south-western parts and the southern and eastern coastal areas are expected to receive mostly below-normal rainfall early, mid- and late winter.” Click here to read full article by Wandile Sihlobo.

With the optimism we see in the sector, and anecdotally at NAMPO engagements, one can only assume that associated industries such as the farming machinery will see a further uptick in the coming months. After all, we often hear that big deals are sometimes made at NAMPO, and farmers get to see the excellent and new equipment from the various suppliers. We will now be watching the monthly data closely in the coming months. For the first quarter of the year, the figures have been encouraging. For example, tractor sales increased for the fourth consecutive month, up 5% year-on-year in April 2025, with 527 units sold. The combine harvesters’ sales were even more encouraging, up 77% year-on-year in April, with 46 units sold. As we stated in these pages recently, the substantial increase in sales primarily reflects the sector’s positive sentiment about the 2024-25 crop and horticulture harvest due to favourable weather conditions and the base effects, given the weak sales in 2024. Click here to read full article.

By the end of the 2024/2025 marketing year, South Africa had exported 2.2Mt, well above long-term average levels. At the end of April, we completed South Africa’s 2024/2025 marketing year for maize. This marketing year corresponds to the 2023/2024 production season, when the midsummer drought led to a 22% decline in South Africa’s maize harvest to 12.85Mt. The big help in that season came from the gains of the previous ones. For example, the season started with 2.4Mt of opening (carry-over) stocks from the past season, ultimately boosting the available maize supplies in the country. This added to the harvest of 12.85Mt. These overall maize supplies were against the domestic needs of 11.6Mt, leaving the country with substantial maize for exports. Click here to listen to the podcast for more insights.

The NAMPO Harvest Day expo concluded yesterday in Bothaville, Free State. The expo was attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen. Farmers and industry leaders engaged in discussion on challenges faced in the agri-sector and map out solutions. Chief Economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa Wandile Sihlobo has more. Click here to watch.

A throwback to Nampo 2025 with Phumela Xanywa & Wandile Sihlobo. Click here to watch.

GROOTplaas talks to Wandile Sihlobo of Agbiz about how South Africa's agricultural sector can manage President Donald Trump's tariffs. Watch full interview here. 

Dr Charl van der Merwe has previously held key roles in the grain value chain – from agricultural economics and commodity management to procurement and strategic business development. Van der Merwe succeeds Wessel Lemmer in this role. Click here to watch.

South Africa’s 2025 budget speech delivered by finance minister Enoch Godongwana on 12 April, presents a challenging scenario for the country’s economic future. As the country grapples with numerous challenges, including rising debt obligations and persistent economic pressures, the budget reflects a balancing act of attempting to address the need for more government spending while stimulating economic growth and managing the public’s tax burden. However, with several contentious proposals, including an increase in value-added tax (VAT) and the potential for further tax hikes in the future, the budget raises numerous concerns for businesses and individuals alike. VAT and inflationary pressure The 2025 budget introduced a 0,5% increase in VAT, with a possible additional 0,5% increase slated for 2026. This decision was expected to raise the cost of living for South Africans, particularly affecting low-income households that are already grappling with inflationary pressures. Click here to read full article and read May issue of Agbiz Grain Quarterly.

Grain differential has long been a topic of contention among industry role-players involved in the storage and handling of grain commodities and oilseeds. Longstanding grievances and concerns regarding unfairness compelled the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Commodity Derivatives Market (JSE CDM) to trial a multiple reference point location differential model for the soya bean futures contracts. The two-year trial commenced in March 2024. There are a few key points to understand regarding this trial: No other commodities are being considered for inclusion in this model. All export and import demand points are excluded from the trial. Only facilities with a minimum crush volume of 5 000t/month are included. This decision was made to reduce the impact of crushing plants withdrawing or suspending crushing activities. The third point was only included at the end of 2024, and therefore the JSE decided to exclude Delmas, Nasrec, and Winterton (Aerodon) from delivery points for the 2025/26 marketing season.  Click here to read full article and read May issue of Agbiz Grain Quarterly.

The May 2025 issue of Agbiz Grain Quarterly is now available, offering fresh insight into South Africa’s grain handling and storage sector. This edition features early impressions of the soya bean multiple reference point location differential trial and explores the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s (BFAP) analysis of malting barley. Readers can also delve into critical topics such as the role of grain storage in national food security and the economic outlook stemming from South Africa’s 2025 budget. The Industrial Development Corporation’s (IDC) role in advancing industry development is unpacked, alongside a comparison of grain bags versus bulk carriers for sea transport. Other key features include best practices for preventing grain losses in silos, the benefits of square or rectangular silos, updates on land reform efforts, and an overview of labour law reform developments from Nedlac. Whether you're an industry stakeholder or an agri-policy enthusiast, this issue offers valuable knowledge and insight. Click here to read.

History is a great teacher, and those who ignore it are doomed. Would South Africa be creating new “Elon Musk regulations” if it exempts Starlink from Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) compliance? The answer lies in understanding how US giants like IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon already comply: through Equity Equivalent Programmes (EEPs). What is B-BBEE and Why Do Multinationals Use Equity Equivalents? South Africa’s B-BBEE Act of 2003 aims to redress apartheid-era economic disparities by promoting black ownership, skills development, and enterprise growth. However, foreign companies often cannot transfer direct ownership. Instead, they leverage Equity Equivalent Programmes – approved by the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (DTIC) – to earn B-BBEE points. How Does It Work? Alternative to Ownership: Instead of selling equity, firms invest in skills development, SMME growth and infrastructure. Government Approval: Programmes must align with national policies (NDP, Industrial Policy) and be approved by the Minister. 25 B-BBEE Points: Companies earn full ownership points for approved initiatives. Click here to read full article.

Every day, tens of thousands of massive ships criss-cross the world’s oceans, transporting grain, clothing, electronics, cars, and countless other products. Nearly 90 per cent of global cargo is moved this way. But this vital industry comes with an added cost: international shipping is responsible for three per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which are heating the planet. For years, ship emissions were a complex and often postponed topic in international climate discussions. But that changed in April 2025 when the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN body overseeing global shipping regulations, approved a historic plan to make the industry net-zero by around mid-century. “This demonstrates that multilateralism and the United Nations are still relevant and important in these particular times,” Arsenio Dominguez, IMO’s Secretary-General, told UN News. He reflected on the tense and often emotional negotiations at the Marine Environment Protection Committee's 83rd session, calling the approval a commitment by IMO and the shipping sector to combat climate change. Read full article here.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s trip to the US this week has the potential to emerge as either a high point or a low point in his presidency. It is not just that the stakes are high – President Donald Trump’s unpredictability will make this a difficult encounter. But the real drama may be that Trump will suddenly be face to face with a representative of a continent he despises. There are many different economic and political aspects to Ramaphosa’s trip to Washington this week. But as important as they are, many could be overshadowed by the drama of one issue. The real motif of Trump’s political agenda is about race. “Make America Great Again” is all about this, a call to turn the clock back to when white people numerically and culturally dominated the US. His actions in claiming that white people are victims (and thus the search for Afrikaans refugees) are all about this. His lies that white people in South Africa are the victims of a “genocide” show the depths that he will go to, to perpetuate this falsehood. Click here to read full article derived from dailymaverick.co.za.

The idea behind debt-for-development swaps is straightforward: A country exchanges its expensive debt for cheaper debt, often supported by a credit enhancement like a guarantee, and then redirects the savings into development spending. Until recently, there were a limited number of these transactions, partly due to the costs required and partly due to skepticism around their effectiveness. But as liquidity pressures mount for some countries, there is renewed interest in debt swaps as a liability management tool. And the recent success of a new approach to this old idea is attracting attention from both debtors and creditors. Historically, critics have argued that debt swaps deliver neither meaningful improvements in debt sustainability nor significant development outcomes. Often, governments complain about hefty financial, administrative, and transaction costs and that national sovereignty is undermined by prioritizing external agendas over local development needs. Click here to read full article.

Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy has outlined critical reforms to revive South Africa’s logistics and freight rail sector which has been underperforming in recent years. Analysts have estimated that these inefficiencies cost the economy as much as R1 billion a day. “Last week, Transnet issued a R17bn concession contract to five private sector partners to fund, construct and operate several liquid bulk terminals at the Port of Richards Bay,” Creecy said on Thursday during the Rand Merchant Bank Think Summit 2025. She said the government had been collaborating with stakeholders to address bottlenecks and inefficiencies to turn around the fortunes of the rail and ports logistics systems. “Business and Transnet have cooperated to improve maintenance and security on key freight corridors and hope to find ongoing short-term mechanisms to promote investment in the rail network while the longer-term reform agenda rolls out. “Transnet will put in bids to the budget facility for infrastructure at National Treasury for maintenance and refurbishment of the network and selected terminals. Click here to read full article.

As rail reforms continue to take shape in South Africa, particularly with Transnet having published a Network Statement paving the way for private operators in December last year, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy recognises that logistics remains a binding constraint on economic growth and job creation. She addressed delegates in a keynote address at the Africa Rail 2025 conference, in Gauteng, on May 13, confirming that the rail network would ultimately remain State-owned to control pricing in a favourable manner. The Department of Transport is working on a Rail Masterplan as an evidence-based framework that will be published for public comment later this year. The masterplan will outline the developments in freight and passenger rail planned from now until 2050, particularly as more stakeholders opt for rail as a more environment-friendly and cost-effective mode of transportation. Additionally, Creecy confirmed that rail access tariffs and a Network Statement for 2025/26 were being drafted, as well as a request for information (RFI) for passenger rail, which would be released in coming weeks. Click here to read full article.

South Africa’s logistics sector faced multiple disruptions during the week ending 11 May 2025. Port volumes dropped 16% week-on-week, impacted by equipment breakdowns, vacant berths, and weather-related delays—particularly in Cape Town and Durban. Rail cargo from Durban improved by 58%, but delays from cable theft and maintenance continued to hamper Transnet operations. Air cargo rebounded slightly, with inbound volumes rising 11%, although total air freight remains below pre-COVID levels. Border crossing times and queue durations across SA and SADC saw a marked improvement, reducing costs by R53 million from the prior week. Globally, the US-China tariff truce boosted trade optimism, while cleaner-fuel ship orders surged, marking a shift toward sustainability. Finally, a newly announced Block Exemption for ports, rail, and feeder roads aims to enhance collaboration and private sector investment—seen as vital steps toward revitalising South Africa’s logistics infrastructure. Read the full report here.

The signing of the Expropriation Bill into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier in 2025 sparked lively debate on land reform and property rights. While some view it as a victory, others fear that it may undermine private property ownership. In a Nation in Conversation session during Nampo 2025, a panel of experts examined the signing of the Act’s potential effects on property rights, land ownership, and the broader agricultural landscape. Waldimar Pelser led the discussion that aimed to provide clarity on the Act’s provisions and its anticipated impact on commercial farming operations. Although the topic of the discussion was understanding the implications of South Africa’s Expropriation Act on agriculture, it was clear that amongst the panel members and also the general public, there is no consensus on the understanding of certain aspects of the new law. The panel members were Willem de Chavonnes Vrugt, deputy president of Agri SA; Dean McPherson, Minister of Public Works, and Infrastructure; Jaco Kleynhans, head of international liaison at Solidarity; Hermann Pretorius, Head of Strategic Communications at the South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR); and Theo Boshoff, CEO of Agbiz. Click here to read full article derived from farmersweekly.co.za.

The Government of National Unity (GNU) will tighten regulations on livestock auctioneers to curb and potentially eradicate the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD), Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen said during a visit to Nampo Harvest Day 2025. This comes after South Africa’s biggest trading partner announced a ban on beef imports into China earlier this week. The latest FMD outbreak came at a time when the global agricultural sector was focusing its attention on the second-biggest expo of its kind in the world. A palpably exhausted Steenhuisen said: “It’s very important that we get on top of it (FMD) as quickly as possible.” The latest ban on South African beef “has a huge effect on us”, he said, especially because it could have been avoided had animal movement restrictions across provincial boundary lines been followed. Steenhuisen said: “We’ve traced back some of the cases to an auction in KwaZulu-Natal, and very clearly the regulations are not being followed. Click here to read full article derived from freightnews.co.za.

The long-serving executive director of Hortgro has taken over as chairperson at Fruit South Africa. The first concept of Fruit South Africa (FSA) as an initiative to promote the country’s fresh fruit in the deregulated era was launched at Fruit Logistica Asia in Hong Kong some 24 years ago. The idea of Fruit SA was first developed in 2001 by industry legends such as Riaan van Wyk, founder of Colorsfruit, Capespan executive Bokkie Strauss, and Eastern Cape citrus farmer Valdy Jensen. It was designed to promote South Africa’s fruit heritage internationally after regulation-era structures were dismantled. In those early years, the industry structures that had been formed to take the country’s fresh produce industry into the future, had not been fully established. Since then, it has evolved – and represents most South African fruit export categories, albeit with a much different focus. “It has been a tough journey,” admitted Anton Rabe, in an interview with Fruitnet outlining the progress made during more than two decades. Click here to read full article.

The European Union’s (EU) stricter regulations on pesticide use halved the value of Kenya’s fresh vegetable exports in 2024, even as the country also sold less than Sh100 billion worth of cut flowers overseas in the year. The Economic Survey 2025 report shows the volume of fresh vegetables exported in 2024 dropped by 54.7 per cent from 164,100 tonnes in 2023 to 74,300 tonnes in 2024. The value of the fresh vegetables dropped from Sh50.9 billion to Sh23.4 billion. The 164,100 tonnes exported in 2023 was the highest in the last five years. The report links the drop to Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) interceptions by the destination markets. “Further, EU notifications regarding Kenyan beans and peas in pods due to concerns about pesticide residue levels exceeding MRLs resulted in lower export volumes,” the report says. However, fruit earnings during the period increased from Sh32.4 billion in 2023 to Sh41 billion in 2024, reflecting a 26.5 per cent increase. Click here to read full article.

Fresh produce industry calls for more detail but welcomes signs of progress. Checks on seafood and some meat products will be removed to make trade easier under a new deal agreed by the UK and the EU. The new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement will mean some trade can move freely, with burgers and sausages given as an example by the government of products that will benefit. The deal is being reported as given in return for extended fishing rights for the EU in UK waters. While there is limited detail about exactly what is included, there are hopes it signals the first step in closer alignment of food standards and an easing of trade friction. A government statement said: “Some routine checks on animal and plant products will be removed completely, allowing goods to flow freely again, including between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Ultimately this could lower food prices and increase choice on supermarket shelves.” Click here to read full article.

CropLife SA, Hortgro, and SATI have issued a joint media release reaffirming the sector’s commitment to sustainable stewardship and the responsible use of crop protection products. Released on 19 May 2025, the statement highlights the industry’s ongoing efforts to comply with national legislation, promote integrated pest management (IPM), and ensure that environmental, social, and food safety standards remain central to agricultural practices. Click here to read the full statement.

Agri’s Got Talent is back for its 12th season, celebrating the voices of South Africa’s agri-workers in the fruit, wine, citrus, and table grape industries. Finalists will enjoy voice and social media training, personal development workshops, and a showcase at the gala finale in September 2025. Click here to learn more. 

Potatoes SA marks the 2025 International Day of the Potato with the global theme "Shaping History, Feeding the Future." Recognised by the FAO and UN, this day highlights the potato’s nutritional, economic, and cultural value worldwide. As one of Africa’s largest producers, South Africa averages over 107 million 10kg bags annually. To celebrate, Potatoes SA will host Fresh Produce Market Days in Cape Town and Johannesburg on 27 and 30 May, featuring potato cultivar displays, live broadcasts, prizes, and stakeholder engagement. Read full statement here.

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa, in collaboration with Letsema Consulting and Advisory, invites you to participate in a brief quantitative survey aimed at better understanding stakeholder needs and preferences. Your feedback will play a critical role in helping the IDC enhance its offerings and align more closely with the needs of its stakeholders. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, and all responses will be treated with strict confidentiality. Click here to take the survey. For any questions about the survey, please contact Neo Mogodi, IDC Publicity Manager – Corporate Affairs, at NeoMo@idc.co.za.

BUSA Sustaining Progress Conference 2025

29 May 2025 | Focus Rooms, Modderfontein

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Potatoes SA Innovation Symposium

23 & 24 July 2025 | CSIR Convention Centre, Pretoria

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3rd Annual Food Waste Solutions Summit

26-27 June 2025 | Hotel Sky, Sandton

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International Fresh Produce Association’s Southern Africa Conference

23-24 July 2025 | Pretoria, South Africa

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South African Sugar Technologists’ Association Congress 2025 

12-14 August 2025 | ICC Durban

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• Agbiz is the only organisation that serves the broader and common over-arching business interests of agribusinesses in South Africa.
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