In its latest quarterly report, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) expects South African new-vehicle sales to reach 558 000 units this year, inching up from last year’s 557 701 units.

While land reform has dominated South Africa’s headlines, it has also emerged as a major polarising issue in Namibia ahead of next year’s national election. Populist pressure, fears around the trajectory of the economy and uncertainty about how the process will be administered in Namibia have raised alarm, particularly among investors.

In an industry with a history of sustainability and ethics, one thing stands out more than anything else: love.

Soft, luxurious, warm and timeless. It’s difficult to imagine mohair as anything other than a lovely scarf, but the fact is, the true story behind its production is almost as beautiful - and very important to the South African economy.

Mohair is a fibre derived from the fleece of Angora goats and the industry supports more than 800 South African farms and an estimated 30,000 dependents. Fifty percent of the world’s mohair is produced in SA, under strict guidelines of sustainability that have been in continual development since 2009.
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It’s all about the goats

Aside from the numbers, though, it’s all about the goats. These gentle, somewhat charismatic creatures are at the heart of a farming industry that is driven by ethics and expertise. Angora farmers have a deep understanding of their goats that only a farmer who loves his animals can have. They’re a passionate bunch who regard the well-being of their livestock as an abiding commitment that is beyond question.

Many of South Africa’s Angora farms have been in production for more than a century, with knowledge and skills passed down through generations. As such, mohair production in SA is as much a commercial enterprise as it is a family legacy. Of course, profitability is important, too, and is intrinsically linked to how the goats are treated and cared for.

Notable success has been achieved in providing all South Africans with access to water and sanitation since the advent of the democratic dispensation in 1994. However, water availability remains a concern.

The hunting of wild animals is an emotive issue, drawing fire from anti-hunting organisations, environmentalists as well as many ordinary citizens.

As the end of November approaches, there are not many choices for buyers looking for lychees in the US. That will change shortly as the southern hemisphere season begins. One US importer of specialty fruits is about to begin their third South African lychee season.

Since 2015, South Africa knew it would have to work faster to develop its sustainable agriculture sector. South Africa was one of many countries to sign.

The world’s largest cattle feedlot is expanding South African beef exports beyond the Middle East to take advantage of surging demand in China and other Asian markets.

Thundershowers over the central parts on Friday may become severe with strong winds and a possibility of hail. Strong southeasterlies are expected over the southwestern coastal areas.

The continual prosperity of the macadamia industry has led to a rapid increase in orchards with the industry adding around 2 000 additional hectares each year.

At this year’s annual Subtrop marketing symposium for the subtropical fruit industry, speakers made reference to the consistent growth in global demand for, in particular, avocados, but cautioned that continuous promotion and consumer education campaigns were an essential part of maintaining this growth.

A recently published research paper by agricultural economists Jan Greyling and Philip Pardey in the Agrekon Journal brings home some key points about South Africa’s maize production in terms of commercial and smallholder share contribution. This is timely given the current debates about transformation in South Africa’s agricultural sector, with questions about the progress of smallholder black farmers arising.

A new study from Stanford University suggests that the kind of hot, dry conditions that can shrink crop yields, destabilize food prices and lay the groundwork for devastating wildfires are increasingly striking multiple regions simultaneously as a result of a warming climate.

South Africa’s stonefruit season is now well underway for most fruit categories, with good market conditions expected in Europe over the coming weeks.

Efforts to preserve nature are way off what is required, and a “global deal” in the mould of the Paris climate agreement is needed to bring it back from the brink, a report has warned. 

New-vehicle sales in November declined by 4.6%, to 47 486 units, compared with the same month last year.

As the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) held in Shanghai this last week comes to an end, attention turns to the South African beef industry, one of the clear winners of increased favourable relations between China and South Africa.

In rural Mecosta County, Mich., sits a near-windowless facility with a footprint about the size of Buckingham Palace. It’s just one of Nestlé’s roughly 100 bottled water factories in 34 countries around the world.

The scientific dispute between the EU and the South African citrus industry has again resulted in stalemate as the latter’s three proposals to manage citrus black spot (CBS) in a more financially and environmentally sustainable manner were summarily rejected.