by Wandile Sihlobo | Aug 29, 2019 | Food Security
If there was ever a time when incentives could help reduce the spread of animal disease, it is probably now in South Africa. Since April 2019 there have been 14 reported outbreaks of African swine fever in South Africa. All are in areas of the North West, Mpumalanga,...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Aug 26, 2019 | Africa Focus
On 25 August 2019, we learned that the Zambian government has placed a price cap of $199 per tonne on maize (approximately R3 023) and has justified its actions by noting its concerns over rising maize prices, which could disadvantage many poor Zambian households. The...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Aug 24, 2019 | Agricultural Trade
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) was recently ratified. Although it is well understood that a reduction of tariffs in isolation won’t necessarily encourage trade, it is still an important development from an agricultural perspective. This is...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Aug 21, 2019 | Food Security
Since the start of the year, South Africa’s agricultural commodity prices have increased notably from levels seen over the same time in 2018, specifically grains and oilseeds. Under normal circumstances, one would expect the price increases in agricultural commodities...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Aug 19, 2019 | Africa Focus
The headline of this post captures the consistent question I kept getting from folks after publishing an essay arguing that the recently launched African Continental Free Trade Agreement would potentially open additional avenues for South African products to...
