South Africa's agricultural exports surged by 10% in first quarter of 2025
A worker harvests grapes on a farm in Franschhoek near Cape Town. South Africa's agricultural exports have shown strong growth in the first quarter of 2025 due to the higher export volumes of grapes among other products.
Image: Independent Newspapers Archives
South Africa's agricultural exports have shown strong growth in the first quarter of 2025, rising by 10% year-on-year and reaching a total of US$3.36 billion, according to Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen.
This increase was largely driven by higher export volumes of products such as grapes, maize, apples, and wine, alongside improved international commodity prices.
The minister said: 'We can all agree that agriculture plays a vital role in our nation's economic ambitions and contributes significantly to our trade balance.' He attributed the growth in exports to the 'unwavering dedication and courageousness of the country's farmers and the entire value chain.'
The export success comes as the agricultural sector continues its gradual recovery on the jobs front. The recent Statistics SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey, released in May, showed that primary agriculture employment rose by 1% from the previous quarter, reaching 930,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was mainly seen in the field crops, game, and hunting subsectors.
While annual employment was still down by 1% year-on-year, Steenhuisen expressed optimism about the direction the sector is heading in: 'This mild recovery in employment is a welcome sign, and the Department of Agriculture is committed to implementing interventions to support the subsectors and regions still feeling the effects of previous challenges.'
With June marking Youth Month, Steenhuisen also used the opportunity to call for greater involvement of young people in agriculture to ensure the sector's long-term sustainability.
'The future of our country and that of our agricultural sector hinges on the active involvement of our young people. We need to ignite a passion for farming, agribusiness, and the entire agricultural value chain among our youth,' he said.
He outlined key areas that need investment to attract young talent, including accessible financial assistance, early agricultural education, land access, market linkages, and technology-driven farming.
'The energy, innovation, and adaptability of our young citizens are precisely what our agricultural sector needs to reach its full potential and ensure lasting food security,' said Steenhuisen.
Applications for the Department of Agriculture's bursary programme for the 2026 academic year are now open.
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Universities and technical colleges continue to churn out graduates armed with theoretical knowledge that often bears little resemblance to the practical skills employers desperately need. Businesses struggle to find workers with the right competencies, even as millions of young people remain unemployed. This disconnect is beyond tragic. It's catastrophic. We have created a system where a young person can spend years studying, accumulating debt, and raising expectations, only to discover that their qualification is irrelevant in the job market. The result is a generation of qualified, willing and able, but underemployed youth, whose potential remains locked away by a system that has failed to evolve with economic realities. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The Solution: Learnerships Corporate South Africa possesses something traditional education lacks: direct insight into market needs, immediate access to real workplace environments, and the ability to provide training that directly leads to employment opportunities through learnerships. Learnerships represent a powerful antidote to the skills mismatch plaguing our economy. These programmes combine theoretical learning with practical workplace experience, creating a bridge between education and employment. They are designed with the end in mind – employment, rather than merely the accumulation of academic credentials. The beauty of industry-led skills development lies in its relevance and immediacy. When a mining company sponsors a learnership programme, participants learn skills that mining companies need. When a financial services firm invests in skills programmes, the training directly translates to greater employability and career advancement in that sector. Businesses can make a fundamental difference by investing in learnerships to provide young people with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge needed in the industry, while radically changing the youth unemployment trajectory. What is a learnership? A structured, work-based learning programme, typically over 12-24 months. The learner undergoes theoretical and on-the-job training, learning practical skills directly related to a specific occupation – from engineering, to insurance, to business process outsourcing, to sales, retail, manufacturing, IT Support, and many more. It leads to a registered qualification on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and is managed by the relevant SETA. Learnerships make excellent business sense for the employer and learner: Learnerships are developed by the industry - so the skills sets and outcomes are aligned to the requirements of the specific occupation and industry sector. Customise the learnership to meet business objectives - With the right L&D partner, every learnership can be customised to the business strategy, as long as it meets the requirements of notional hours and formative and summative assessments. Qualifications are registered on the NQF - which means that employees are learning new skills and knowledge within a recognised qualification, which means improved standards, productivity and quality of work. Tax Rebates and Employment Equity - Learnerships earn points on the BEE Scorecard under both Employment Equity and Skills Development and there is a SARS Tax Rebate if the learnership is registered with the Department of Labour and the agreement is registered with the SETA. The Tax Rebate is calculated per learner – a learnership for a disabled learner could translate into a R120k tax rebate for a 12-month learnership. There is an opportunity to make skills levy contributions work for the benefit of the company, its people, and the communities in which it operates. Job prospects are imminently better for the learner, with sound theoretical and practical occupation-specific training backed by a nationally recognised qualification. Learnerships often result in permanent employment for the learner upon completion if they have performed well. Beyond Corporate Social Responsibility Companies that invest seriously in youth skills training are not just helping young people – they are building their future workforce, reducing recruitment costs, and addressing skills shortages that constrain their growth. They are also investing in the stability and prosperity of the communities in which they operate. High youth unemployment is a recipe for social unrest, crime, and economic stagnation – problems that ultimately affect business performance. Different industries also face different skills challenges, and learnership programmes can be tailored to address these specific needs. With the right L&D (Learning and Development) partner, every learnership can be customised to the business strategy, as long as it meets the requirements of notional hours and formative and summative assessments. 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