Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and the author of two books, “A Country of Two Agricultures: The Disparities, The Challenges, The Solutions” and “Finding Common Ground: Land, Equity and Agriculture“.
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’s agricultural gross value added improved in Q2, 2023
After a sharp contraction of -11,9% quarter-on-quarter (seasonally adjusted) in the first quarter of 2023, South Africa’s agricultural gross value added grew by 4,2% in the second quarter. This improvement is based on the robust production conditions of various field crops and horticulture, which weren’t reflected in the first quarter data because of a delayed start to the 2022/23 production season and the base effects.
Saudi Arabia’s inclusion in BRICS+ bodes well for South Africa’s agricultural exports
Initially, South African agribusinesses had their eyes on China and India as countries with reasonably higher tariffs on some agricultural products and a range of non-tariff barriers. With the inclusion of Saudi Arabia in the BRICS, South Africa would now look at three significant markets to broaden agricultural exports.
South Africa has a robust summer and winter crop harvest
South Africa’s 2023/24 the winter crop is in good condition, and we will keep a close eye on weather conditions in the coming months. Regarding the summer crop, the focus will soon shift to the new 2023/24 production season that starts in October. The current 2022/23 season is towards completion.
The re-opening of beef export markets is positive for South Africa
One positive development in SA agriculture in the past week was the reopening of the Chinese beef market and the firm establishment of beef access to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
South Africa’s consumer food inflation decelerated in July 2023
South Africa’s consumer food inflation continued to slow in July 2023, recorded at 10,0% from 11,1% in the previous month. The product prices underpinning this deceleration are primarily bread and cereals; meat; fish; and oils and fats.
South Africa’s agricultural interests in BRICS are not at the expense of the existing key export markets
South Africa’s agricultural interests in the BRICS markets are not at the expense of the existing and vital export markets in the African continent, EU, Asia, Americas, Middle-East and others. These current markets are essential; thus, South Africa exported a record US$12,8 billion in agricultural products in 2022.
Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and the author of two books, “A Country of Two Agricultures: The Disparities, The Challenges, The Solutions” and “Finding Common Ground: Land, Equity and Agriculture“.
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.