Bilateral relations are critical in the agricultural industry, as South Africa, Botswana and Namibia gear up for general elections this year. Trade among the three countries will be under scrutiny with the key focus on food security.
While Botswana and Namibia have banned vegetable exports from South Africa, trade relations between the countries have been excellent, said Thabile Nkunjana from the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC). It spans a variety of industries that are interlinked to agriculture such as finance, logistics, retail, wholesale, and primary agricultural production.
However, experts have warned that new policies by incoming governments might either harm or unblock the great potential of the agricultural industry.
BOOK NOW TO SECURE YOUR INDABA TICKET
SA’s vegetable market shrinking
“Using the vegetable industry as an example, South Africa’s average annual export revenue between 2018 and 2022 was R3.1 billion, largely due to the country’s neighbours. About 20% of South Africa’s vegetable export revenue in 2021 came from Mozambique, with the remaining 15% coming from Botswana, 9% from Namibia, 7% from Eswatini, and 4% from each of Zimbabwe and Lesotho.
“From South Africa’s perspective, these figures demonstrate why the recent prohibition on its vegetable exports by its bordering major markets is problematic,” he explained.
Nkunjana said numerous companies from South Africa, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) member nations have made significant investments over the years, which have resulted in the creation of employment and an improvement in the region’s food security.
“For the impacted trading partners to make appropriate plans, it is critical that regional countries, especially those that are neighbours, communicate their intentions in detail and with sufficient lead time,” he said.
The year 2024, Nkunjana added, promises to be exciting for everyone, especially for Africans. “In 2024, elections are scheduled in at least 60 countries across multiple regions, with around half of the world’s population expected to participate in voting.
“Undoubtedly, a lot can go wrong or well in an economy during a year like this since there are many policies proposed to please voters, which could have a detrimental effect on economic growth,” he said.
“Like many other sectors, the agriculture industry is surely susceptible to the effects of certain innovations that impact other industries from policy formulation. Therefore, as elections and their respective economies get near, 2024 is probably going to be an important year for several SADC countries.”
READ NEXT: Land, transformation top agri’s wish list ahead of elections
Challenges for farmers and consumers
Meanwhile, Nkunjana said there was nothing untoward when the Zimbabwean government banned potatoes from South Africa following an outbreak.
“Zimbabwe recently temporarily banned potatoes coming from South Africa. This is a procedural procedure, and it has no malicious intent, rather, it is the officials’ responsibility to take action until the situation is resolved.
“The fact that the pepper ringspot virus has only been found in a small number of South African potato-producing regions is satisfactory. Steps are being taken to safeguard these areas, stop the export of contaminated potatoes, and stop the virus from spreading,” he said.
Toopiwa Ditshwenyego, a farmer and consultant in Botswana, said there are not a lot of vegetables available which poses a lot of challenges for consumers in the country.
“For some vegetables, we are in a good space but others are just bad. This has led to more rural places not having access to vegetables, and vegetable markets having little to no access when it comes to different types of vegetables.”
ALSO READ: Ripe for change: Fruit SA sets juicy transformation goals
Sign up for Mzansi Today: Your daily take on the news and happenings from the agriculture value chain.
