The rise of South African agribusiness: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Abstract

In this article, food security is defined as access to nutritionally adequate and culturally acceptable food at affordable prices through non-emergency means all the time. The article will debate whether South Africa large agribusiness is critical in providing access to food. I look at the main value chain in South African agriculture and the role that large agribusiness play in ensuring the success of those value chains. I identify the critical success factors of current agribusiness. I highlight the factors that restrict and/or enhance the competitiveness and profitability of smaller agribusinesses and analyse the power relations between the players in the supply chain. I then analyse if the current support measures provided by the Dti is applicable to the agro-processing sector and to make recommendations on how such support measures can be adapted if needed.