Tag: food security

South Africa takes on the presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) in 2025 with six headline priorities. These include debt sustainability for low-income countries, mobilising finance for a just energy transition, food security, disaster resilience and digital infrastructure. Among these, payment reform is the one that businesses in the country will feel most directly.

Africa's agricultural future requires bold climate-mitigation practices across the value chain. This vision is best realised with the strategic backing of strong financial partners who are committed to supporting Africa's agricultural transformation.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept waiting on the horizon. It is here. And it is moving fast. For South Africa, a country facing structural challenges but rich in ingenuity and potential, AI brings both monumental opportunities and real risks. The question is no longer whether we will participate in this new world of AI. The real question is how.

South Africa’s National Fresh Produce Markets (NFPMs) generate over R20 billion in sales per year. This sector contributes significantly to both job creation and food security. However, without adaptation to transformation and development strategies, the NFPMs risk not realising their true potential.

The agriculture sector is integral to the South African economy. It contributes around R400 billion to GDP each year. Additionally, it supports approximately 870,000 jobs across the country. The sector also generates USD13 billion in export revenue annually. Moreover, it plays a critical role in supporting South Africa’s food security.

In South Africa where 2.1 million people experience hunger weekly, up to 10.3 million tons of food is wasted each year. The figures are alarming....

The construction sector must not be overlooked in the drive towards achieving net zero. While sectors such as industrial manufacturing, mining and fossil fuel power generation tend to grab more headlines, the construction of buildings and infrastructure accounts for approximately 7 Gt CO2e, or 20% of global carbon emissions, where 4 Gt CO2e is associated with the materials used for construction.

Nearly three decades after the dawn of democracy, South Africa has remained a country of ‘two agricultures’. On the one hand we have a subsistence, primarily non-commercial, black farming segment. On the other hand, however, we have a predominantly commercial and white farming sector that is well-resourced and has access to domestic and international trade networks.

Risks such as heavy rain, flooding, hail, frost, drought and fire are by no means new to the South African agricultural sector, but due to the effects of climate change, they are increasing in frequency and severity. These risks are also becoming more unpredictable amid changing weather patterns, which complicates risk management efforts for farmers.

After years of sustained pressure especially from organisations like Sakeliga, the government relented in November last year and promulgated regulations stating that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) no longer have to comply with Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), requirements when awarding government contracts.