Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) said that Agriculture's largest exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere held last week in Bothaville indicated a positive mood but a mixed picture for Agriculture.
South Africa’s agricultural sector entered 2026 with cautious optimism, but mounting concerns over animal disease outbreaks, infrastructure failures and rising geopolitical risks continue to cloud the industry’s longer-term outlook.
This was the assessment from Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) chief economist, Wandile Sihlobo, following last week’s NAMPO Harvest Day exhibition in Bothaville.
Sihlobo said the annual event once again highlighted both the resilience and vulnerabilities of South African agriculture, offering industry players an opportunity to engage openly on the sector’s future.
“The mood was generally positive at NAMPO, though people didn’t hide the fact that the South African farming sector faces some challenges. Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the beef and dairy industries, along with African swine fever in the pig industry, is among the pressing challenges these sectors face,” he said.
