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Papers by Wandile Sihlobo

By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained there... more By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification.

The Oxford Handbook of the South African Economy, 2021

South Africa is a semi-arid country with a weak resource base for agriculture which is also threa... more South Africa is a semi-arid country with a weak resource base for agriculture which is also threatened by climate change and sporadic droughts. Through the adoption of modern technology, increased productivity growth and new export markets, South African commercial agriculture has shown dramatic growth over the last three decades. At the same time, the sector continues to be characterized by an extreme dualism between predominantly white commercial farmers and mainly black smallholder farmers, and many failed efforts to grow the sector in an inclusive and transformed manner. As a result, the country still has ‘two agricultures’. This chapter unpacks the structural characteristics of South African commercial agriculture based on a freighter-relation of the official statistics. This incomplete picture of the structural and geospatial dimensions of agriculture constrain any sensible policy design and support programmes to bring about a sustainable and transformed sector.

Agrekon, 2021

As a member of the Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, I am happy to resp... more As a member of the Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, I am happy to respond to Prof Gran’s commentary on the work and conclusions of the panel. Before I reply in detail it is important to provide some context and background to my comments. Land reform is one of the unavoidable policy discussions that have dominated South Africa’s agricultural policy landscape over the past two decades and promises to remain part of the discussions over the foreseeable future. More so, as data continue to show that the progress made thus far on land reform falls short of the government’s 30% target at the dawn of democracy. Vink and Kirsten (2019), estimate that 20% of the targeted land has already been transferred away from white landowners to the State and black owners, and some through private and State-supported transactions including land restitution. These transfers have been through restitution, redistribution, private transactions and State procurement. Moreover, Sout...

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, nutritious food th... more Food security exists when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for a healthy lifestyle, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). An adequate supply of food at national or international level does not guarantee household level food security. Concerns regarding insufficient food access have resulted in greater policy focus on incomes, expenditure, markets and prices in achieving food security objectives.

South Africa is the second-largest exporter of potato and potato seed in Africa. Export growth in... more South Africa is the second-largest exporter of potato and potato seed in Africa. Export growth in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) markets, excluding the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), has exceeded that of the BLNS countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland) by far. Most of these markets are now becoming saturated. In light of the recently launched Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement (T-FTA), emerging export opportunities have arisen beyond SADC countries.

Furthermore, the ANC argued that the proposed approach to land reform would be guided by sound le... more Furthermore, the ANC argued that the proposed approach to land reform would be guided by sound legal and economic principles, and would contribute to the country’s overall job creation and investment objectives. The proposal of land redistribution without compensation somewhat marks a shift in policy, and comes at a time when land reform (through both the State and market) has made more progress than experts and policymakers care to admit.

Wandile Sihlobo argues that African governments must come up with concrete policies to attract yo... more Wandile Sihlobo argues that African governments must come up with concrete policies to attract young people to the agricultural sector.

Rarely has a medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) generated as much interest as the one of... more Rarely has a medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) generated as much interest as the one of 26 October 2016 - and rightly so. Amid continued sluggish and deteriorating economic growth, and increased demands on the fiscus for 'free' higher education, drought and other support for the agricultural sector, social welfare, a nuclear power programme and more, finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, and the National Treasury have had a challenging task balancing expenditure with lagging tax revenue.

Far Eastern markets remain one of the key areas of strategic expansion for the South African fres... more Far Eastern markets remain one of the key areas of strategic expansion for the South African fresh produce industry. The country exported 103 802 tons of oranges to Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, China and Hong Kong combined in 2015. Of this volume, 87 728 tons (or 85%) went to China and Hong Kong, effectively making these two markets the cornerstone of South Africa's Asian market.

By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained there... more By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification.

The Oxford Handbook of the South African Economy, 2021

South Africa is a semi-arid country with a weak resource base for agriculture which is also threa... more South Africa is a semi-arid country with a weak resource base for agriculture which is also threatened by climate change and sporadic droughts. Through the adoption of modern technology, increased productivity growth and new export markets, South African commercial agriculture has shown dramatic growth over the last three decades. At the same time, the sector continues to be characterized by an extreme dualism between predominantly white commercial farmers and mainly black smallholder farmers, and many failed efforts to grow the sector in an inclusive and transformed manner. As a result, the country still has ‘two agricultures’. This chapter unpacks the structural characteristics of South African commercial agriculture based on a freighter-relation of the official statistics. This incomplete picture of the structural and geospatial dimensions of agriculture constrain any sensible policy design and support programmes to bring about a sustainable and transformed sector.

Agrekon, 2021

As a member of the Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, I am happy to resp... more As a member of the Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, I am happy to respond to Prof Gran’s commentary on the work and conclusions of the panel. Before I reply in detail it is important to provide some context and background to my comments. Land reform is one of the unavoidable policy discussions that have dominated South Africa’s agricultural policy landscape over the past two decades and promises to remain part of the discussions over the foreseeable future. More so, as data continue to show that the progress made thus far on land reform falls short of the government’s 30% target at the dawn of democracy. Vink and Kirsten (2019), estimate that 20% of the targeted land has already been transferred away from white landowners to the State and black owners, and some through private and State-supported transactions including land restitution. These transfers have been through restitution, redistribution, private transactions and State procurement. Moreover, Sout...

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, nutritious food th... more Food security exists when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for a healthy lifestyle, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). An adequate supply of food at national or international level does not guarantee household level food security. Concerns regarding insufficient food access have resulted in greater policy focus on incomes, expenditure, markets and prices in achieving food security objectives.

South Africa is the second-largest exporter of potato and potato seed in Africa. Export growth in... more South Africa is the second-largest exporter of potato and potato seed in Africa. Export growth in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) markets, excluding the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), has exceeded that of the BLNS countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland) by far. Most of these markets are now becoming saturated. In light of the recently launched Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement (T-FTA), emerging export opportunities have arisen beyond SADC countries.

Furthermore, the ANC argued that the proposed approach to land reform would be guided by sound le... more Furthermore, the ANC argued that the proposed approach to land reform would be guided by sound legal and economic principles, and would contribute to the country’s overall job creation and investment objectives. The proposal of land redistribution without compensation somewhat marks a shift in policy, and comes at a time when land reform (through both the State and market) has made more progress than experts and policymakers care to admit.

Wandile Sihlobo argues that African governments must come up with concrete policies to attract yo... more Wandile Sihlobo argues that African governments must come up with concrete policies to attract young people to the agricultural sector.

Rarely has a medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) generated as much interest as the one of... more Rarely has a medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) generated as much interest as the one of 26 October 2016 - and rightly so. Amid continued sluggish and deteriorating economic growth, and increased demands on the fiscus for 'free' higher education, drought and other support for the agricultural sector, social welfare, a nuclear power programme and more, finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, and the National Treasury have had a challenging task balancing expenditure with lagging tax revenue.

Far Eastern markets remain one of the key areas of strategic expansion for the South African fres... more Far Eastern markets remain one of the key areas of strategic expansion for the South African fresh produce industry. The country exported 103 802 tons of oranges to Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, China and Hong Kong combined in 2015. Of this volume, 87 728 tons (or 85%) went to China and Hong Kong, effectively making these two markets the cornerstone of South Africa's Asian market.