Tag: agriculture

The Africa Report 2022 has revealed a continent that has shown stable growth, increased innovation and consistent reform in a bid to create a competitive environment, foster free trade and improve the investment climate. For investors navigating the 54 different countries and relatively opaque market – only a few provide key economic and business data – the landscape is changing, providing greater clarity, visibility and opportunity. 

Of all the technologies to have emerged in recent decades, one has impacted a surprising number of industries: Drones. While still in their infancy relative to other emerging technologies, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) are fast finding use in construction, photography, agriculture, defence and many other industries.

From better healthcare access to improved food security, machine learning could tackle a wide range of challenges in developing countries. In 2020, a study published in Nature showed that Google’s machine learning artificial intelligence programme, DeepMind AI, outperformed radiologists in detecting breast cancer.

With deregulation glinting globally, the cannabis market is expected to explode. New Frontier Data’s Global Cannabis Report: 2019 Industry Outlook estimates that there are around 263 million legal users of cannabis and cannabis-related products worldwide. Africa is home to 83 million of these. The report estimates that the total legal cannabis market hit a value of $344 billion in 2018, and ranks Africa as one of the top five regional markets, accounting for $37.3 billion.

The South African agriculture sector as well as consumer can breathe a sigh of relief following the announcement of a massive fuel price decrease of R1.76/ litre of both the retail price of the 93 ULP and LRP petrol, with the 95 ULP and LRP petrol falling by R1.88/ litre for Gauteng.

In the midst of a recessionary domestic economy, favourable inflation outlook and lower oil prices, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) got room to cut interest rates by 100 basis points to 5.25%. A rate cut, downside inflation outlook and supportive rand boost agriculture rebound.

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reported on October 29 that South Africa’s unemployment rate increased from 29.0% in 2019 Q2 to 29.1% in the third quarter. This was the highest jobless reading since 2003, and South Africa now has the joint fourth-highest unemployment rate out of 182 countries tracked by Trading Economics.

It’s a sobering thought, but South Africans have a serious climate change problem. As the world’s 14th largest emitter of carbon dioxide, we have a massive role to play in responding to climate change, and a duty to the planet to shift to a lower-carbon economy. As a signatory to the 2015 Paris Accord, United Nations member countries agreed to hasten their transition to a low-carbon future.

Two important developments have recently taken place on the ongoing land reform discussion front.

Restructuring professionals more positive about the economy, but retail, agriculture and construction sectors remain at risk, 2017 Deloitte Restructuring Outlook survey finds.  The fourth annual...