Finding Common Ground

by Wandile Sihlobo

'My hope is that people can grow to appreciate this sector – its challenges and opportunities, but most importantly, the role agriculture can play in improving South Africa’s rural economy, creating jobs and bringing about much-needed transformation (or inclusive growth).’

Wandile Sihlobo is perfectly positioned to provide a well-rounded, accessible view of agriculture in South Africa. He spent his school holidays in the rural Eastern Cape, studied agricultural economics at university, has worked in private-sector agriculture, consulting with farmers across the country, and has been an adviser to government as part of South African policymaking bodies.

Finding Common Ground is a selection of key articles from Sihlobo’s regular Business Day column, framed with insightful commentary and context. The book covers the broad themes that have marked current discussions and outlines the challenges and opportunities faced by South Africa’s agricultural sector, including:

-The contentious and complex issue of land reform;
-The potential for new leadership to revive the sector;
-How agriculture can drive development and job creation;
-Cannabis as an exportable commodity;
-The urgent need for agricultural policy to address gender equity and youth involvement;
-Technological developments and megatrends that are underpinning agricultural development;
-The importance of trade in growing South Africa’s agriculture; and
-Key lessons that South Africa and other African countries can learn from one another.

Ultimately, Sihlobo is optimistic about the future of South Africa’s agricultural sector and shows us all – from policymakers to the general public – how much common ground we truly have.

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2020

Reviews

[Ed Stoddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collections of previously published essays do not always work, but they do in this case. Sihlobo, a member of South President Cryil Ramaphosa's Advisory Panel on land reform, has done a great service by bringing this readable collection of essays into one book - a 'harvest" as he says in his conclusion. This reviewer was especially taken with the articles/essays in the first and longest section, detailing South Africa's efforts at land reform, which aim among other things to rectify the racial imbalances of ownership that are the legacy of apartheid and colonialism. Sihlobo is always diplomatic in his writing, which is to his credit. But reading these articles has put this reviewer in a less-than-diplomatic mood. The missteps and missed opportunities on the land reform front, from bureaucratic bungling to ill-conceived policies, have retarded the land reform process. South Africa should be far further ahead, with more black farmers and far more opportunities for agriculture and job creation in the former homelands. This book was finished before the Covid-19 menace reared its head, and the pandemic is certain to be a setback for the land reform process as well. South Africa may yet reap a bitter harvest from the failure of the government and ANC to address this issue more forcefully and equitably. In this regard, land reform is no different from a host of other ANC policy failures over the years.