Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, Agbiz, says the South African agricultural space is an exciting place to be in. He explains that being part of the agricultural sector does not mean that you have to partake in farming. This, as you can contribute to the industry by being part of the value chain. However, he highlights that there is a need for farmers in the country. Here is Sihlobo…

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He adds that although the sector faces many challenges - which includes crime in rural areas, uncertainty around land policies and climate change - those who enter the sector has the opportunity to find solutions to combat these challenges.

“For young people, this is an industry that I encourage you to focus on among other industries… You can look at - how do we deal with climate change? What are the new technologies that should be addressed? What are the new production methods that farmers should be following? 

"And [for] those that are in policy would have to look at how we deal with issues of land; how we deal with issues of labour markets [and] how we deal with issues of safety,” explains Sihlobo.

He adds that there are various issues in the sector that needs attention, which therefore makes it a more interesting and exciting sector to be a part of.

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