Small-scale farmers should look beyond their borders to seize the numerous opportunities available to them, said Lesego Serolong-Holzapfel, the founder of Moedi Wines. She highlighted the importance of collaboration and maintaining a positive mindset as key factors for success.
Serolong-Holzapfel was speaking with Food For Mzansi on the sidelines of the recent Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) Forum in Washington, United States of America.
Opportunities for Africa
“America is one of South Africa’s critical trade partners. We need to ensure that more small-scale rural farmers benefit from this critical trade agreement. It can’t just be the big agricultural firms.
“This year’s forum emphasised the need to improve Agoa policies to advance labour standards, create inclusive financial systems, and extend trade opportunities to all, particularly targeting women and youth,” she said.
Serolong-Holzapfel added that young and black South Africans in agriculture often face barriers like stringent export regulations, lack of information, and financial support.
“The United States of America government aims to make Agoa more accessible to women and underrepresented entrepreneurs outside economic hubs. South African government departments like the department of trade, industry and competition, small business, and agriculture can help agripreneurs become export-ready and enter the USA market.
“As the founder of the black-owned wine brand Moedi Wines, recently launched in the USA, Agoa enables brands like mine to be more competitive in pricing and market access. South African wines have less than 1% in the American wine market,” she explained.
Related stories
- SA secures Biden administration backing for Agoa renewal
- Biden-Harris should prioritise 15-year AGOA extension
Serolong-Holzapfel said the underlying message is focused on Agoa renewal for investment stability.
“The message really was making Agoa inclusive and diverse. Targeting youth and women. Agriculture was on the top of the agenda. Reviewing food and agricultural regulations that are inclusive,” she said.
The newly appointed minister of trade, industry and competition, Parks Tau, who was also at the forum, said Agoa is critical to African countries and, together with the African Continental Free Trade Area Africa, has the potential to grow Africa’s economy.
Building closer trading ties
“In many ways, African countries have the potential of demonstrating increasing their footprint in the levels of integration, however, the reality is that the value chain integration is happening at the primary level. The opportunities provided for us is to increase the level of integration at a much more secondary level,” he said.
Tau said extending the Agoa agreement is going to give certainty in terms of exports between Africa and the USA and offers the two parties planning for a longer-term relationship.
He stated that the South African delegation, led by him and deputy minister Andrew Whitfield, urged for the renewal of Agoa to be finalised by the end of 2024.
He said there is an agreement to promote stronger and closer investment relations to complement Agoa and change the structure of Africa’s trade towards value-added exports.
ALSO READ: Lesotho’s food crisis threatens SA’s border security
Sign up for Mzansi Today: Your daily take on the news and happenings from the agriculture value chain
