Cape Town - It was no secret that the country was rife with unemployment across various sectors, but Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza has announced that agriculture proved to be one of sectors of the economy that assisted with major job opportunities this year.
Estimates by analysts suggest South Africa might reach a record export of about R173 billion this year, which would surpass last year’s agriculture exports of about R160 billion (the second highest on record), and could even surpass the record exports of 2018, which amounted to R167 billion.
Didiza said agricultural employment increased by 3% to 829 000 in the third quarter of 2021, which was well above the long-term agricultural employment of 780 000.
Didiza said they would build on this optimism in the coming year, specifically with their Agriculture and Agro-processing Masterplan, which notched good progress after several rounds of negotiations and consultations among government, business, and labour.
“There is broad agreement on the need to generate practical and meaningful solutions to promote inclusive growth, access to finance, greater market access for farmers, mobilising investments, and creating decent working conditions for farmworkers. The negotiations are now advanced and should conclude in the first quarter of 2022,” said Didiza.
This comes after the Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa’s (CCBSA) Mintirho Foundation’s agriculture development initiative created much-needed employment in rural communities with 57% of these employees being black women, illustrating the crucial role both the private sector and government had in addressing unemployment levels.
“Agriculture is an important contributor to South Africa’s economy, and this is evidenced by its robust performance during the most recent economic downturn when most other sectors of the economy experienced significant declines,” said Mintirho Foundation chairperson Independent Trustee Thabi Nkosi.
Since the launch of CCBSA’s Mintirho Foundation in 2018, they have disbursed R343.2 million to support 26 beneficiaries that created much-needed employment in rural communities.
CCBSA managing director Velaphi Ratshefola said with the right support, women, youth, and black farmers could meaningfully participate in high-value agriculture and sophisticated value chains, both locally and internationally.