Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and the author of three books, “The Uncomfortable Truth About South Africa’s Agriculture (2025)”, “A Country of Two Agricultures: The Disparities, The Challenges, The Solutions (2023)” and “Finding Common Ground: Land, Equity and Agriculture (2020)“.
He is a Senior Lecturer Extraordinary at the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University.
Sihlobo is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand, and a Research Associate at the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at Rhodes University.
Sihlobo was appointed as a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Economic Advisory Council in 2019 (and re-appointed in 2022), having served on the Presidential Expert Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture from 2018.
He is also a member of the Council of Statistics of South Africa (Stats SA) and a Commissioner at the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC).
Sihlobo is a columnist for Business Day, The Herald and Farmers Weekly magazine.
His weekly podcast, “Agricultural Market Viewpoint with Wandile Sihlobo“, is available on all podcast platforms.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Fort Hare and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Stellenbosch University.
South Africa is Set to Have a Record Canola Harvest in the 2025-26 Season
At the end of August, I pondered the possibility of a canola boom in South Africa for the 2025-26 season. I based my view on the area planting and weather prospects, which were encouraging compared to the 2024-25 season.
Is Zimbabwe Quietly Lifting the Maize Import Ban?
It appears that Zimbabwe has taken the right step and eased the ban on maize imports. I was reviewing South Africa’s maize exports for the week of 26 September 2025, and Zimbabwe was listed as an importer. During that week, South Africa exported 27,624 tonnes of maize, with 47% (12,858 tonnes) of it being exported to Zimbabwe.
SA Continues to See Solid Agricultural Equipment Sales
When the farming sector is in better condition, the interlinked industries such as machinery suppliers also benefit. We are ending this particular week on a positive note regarding the trend in South Africa’s agricultural machinery sales.
From Seed to Harvest: What Awaits this Season?
Farmers are preparing their lands as the new planting season begins. From the eastern regions that start in October to the western regions in November, the soil is being ploughed and made ready for another season of growth.
South Africa’s Grain Abundance and Another Promising Season Ahead
On September 30, we received the eighth production estimate for South Africa’s 2024-25 season. There are two more estimates to follow for the season, but they are unlikely to change the current picture of abundance.
Notes from Engagements with KwaZulu-Natal Farmers and Agribusinesses
Yesterday, September 29, we had the opportunity to share our views and listen to representatives of agribusinesses from the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The general sentiment from folks in the region was that the agricultural conditions are favourable, which is a picture we painted from a national perspective in our previous letter.
Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and the author of three books, “The Uncomfortable Truth About South Africa’s Agriculture (2025)”, “A Country of Two Agricultures: The Disparities, The Challenges, The Solutions (2023)” and “Finding Common Ground: Land, Equity and Agriculture (2020)“.
He is a Senior Lecturer Extraordinary at the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University.
Sihlobo is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand, and a Research Associate at the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at Rhodes University.
Sihlobo was appointed as a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Economic Advisory Council in 2019 (and re-appointed in 2022), having served on the Presidential Expert Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture from 2018.
He is also a member of the Council of Statistics of South Africa (Stats SA) and a Commissioner at the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC).
Sihlobo is a columnist for Business Day, The Herald and Farmers Weekly magazine.
His weekly podcast, “Agricultural Market Viewpoint with Wandile Sihlobo“, is available on all podcast platforms.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Fort Hare and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Stellenbosch University.