The farming sector is arguably the most important economic sector for South Africa’s development as it is directly linked to food security and poverty reduction. In 2019, 5.3% of employees in South Africa were in the agricultural sector and in 2020, agriculture contributed around 2.5% to the country’s GDP. The constitutional right to food puts food systems and agricultural development firmly on the national development agenda.
South Africa’s history shaped farming into a two-part system: large-scale commercial farmers and small-scale farmers. Both types are important in the agricultural economy.
