This site requires JavaScript to be enabled. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings, or upgrade to a modern browser.

SA farm jobs up 7% year-on-year

Loading player...

Wandile Sihlobo unpacks the latest agriculture trends and statistics in this podcast.
After a notable jump in the third quarter of 2023 to 956,000, South Africa's primary agricultural employment fell by 4% quarter-on-quarter to 920,000 in the last quarter of 2023. Jobs declined mainly in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

26 Feb 2024 English South Africa Investing · Food Wandile Sihlobo

Other recent episodes

Recent floods are another headwind for South Africa’s agricultural growth

We are likely in another year of mixed fortunes in South Africa’s agriculture. At an aggregate level, we believe that the sector is likely to see some growth this year. However, the subsector view will show significant divergence, as various parts of the sector face an array of pressures. One…

20 May 7 min

South Africa’s agriculture starts the year with strong jobs gains, but there are risks ahead

The South African agricultural sector continues to create more jobs. In the first quarter of 2026, farm jobs increased by 3% from the same period a year earlier to 960k jobs (up by 1% from the last quarter of 2025). This uptick in agricultural employment is unsurprising as the sector…

12 May 6 min

South Africa sees strong agricultural machinery sales in April, but the path ahead is uncertain

Agricultural machinery sales remain robust in South Africa, supported by orders some farmers likely placed before the current global challenges. The farmers’ finances over the past few months were boosted by the ample harvest in the 2024-25 season, on the back of beneficial La Niña rains. Therefore, in our interpretation…

11 May 7 min

Two points about the uncertain weather outlook and its impact on South Africa’s agriculture over the coming months

Firstly, there’s a growing likelihood that we’re entering the onset of an El Niño event. This will likely begin around October 2027, which is the start of the 2026-27 summer season. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) highlighted this in their report today, 1 May 2026. Depending on the severity…

3 May 7 min

Canola production in South Africa may reach a fresh high in 2026-27

Many agricultural crops and value chains have shown dramatic progress in recent years. They should serve as an inspiration for further growth of this sector. I often write about South Africa's soybean success story, whose production increased from 67,700 tonnes in the 1993-94 production season to an expected record harvest…

28 Apr 5 min

All episodes