SA farmers seek to expand trade into Africa

SA farmers seek to expand trade into Africa

There is growing urgency under South African farmers to expand regional trade into Africa.  

As trade uncertainty looms, especially around the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and shifting global trade dynamics, there is growing urgency to expand regional trade and create new pathways for South African produce into other global markets.

According to Brendan Jacobs, Head of Agribusiness at Business and Commercial Banking, Standard Bank South Africa, one of the most important pathways is furthering trade into Africa.

This year Standard Bank will be hosting leaders in the agribusiness sector from more than 14 African countries during the NAMPO Harvest Day 2025.

Connecting SA farmers and Africa   

“We look forward to the opportunity of connecting our South African clients with leaders in Africa for potential opportunities. At the same time, we hope our colleagues from these African countries will take best practices identified at NAMPO back to their own countries,” says Jacobs.

NAMPO Harvest Day is an annual agricultural show, widely considered the largest in the Southern Hemisphere held at NAMPO Park near Bothaville in the Free State Province of South Africa

With agriculture under pressure from rising input costs, extreme weather events, tightening margins, and trade agreement challenges, NAMPO Harvest Day 2025 arrives at a pivotal moment for South Africa’s farming sector.

Global agriculture locally

Hosted under the theme “Global Agriculture, Locally!”, this year’s NAMPO is more than an exhibition, it is a rallying point for real-world, farmer-led solutions.

From mechanisation and market access to financial tools and agri-tech, the event brings together farmers, agribusinesses, and financiers to explore what it will take to sustain growth and resilience across the sector.

Farmers want practical tools

According to Jacobs, farmers across the continent are not asking for theory, but rather for practical tools.

Farmers need targeted solutions, climate-resilient inputs and platforms that connect them directly to buyers so that they can access financial products that works with seasonal realities to foster resilience,” says Jacobs.

Another highlight at this year’s NAMPO is the Standard Bank AgriBusiness Transformation Graduation Ceremony, taking place today, 14 May 2025.

Resilience depends on agility    

This is in recognition of a cohort of emerging farmers and agri-preneurs, who have completed tailored development programmes to help grow and formalise their businesses – in collaboration with the University of the Free State and Free State Department of Agriculture.

“With South Africa exporting over half its agricultural production by value, and nearly 26% by volume, the resilience of the sector depends on agility in the face of both global and domestic shifts.

This is arguably one of the most significant years for agriculture in decades. Whether we are talking about export markets or sustainability, success will hinge on how well we align policy, innovation, and grassroots execution to support those who feed the nation,” says Jacobs.

SA farmers seek to expand trade into Africa