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<p>Africa’s investment environment and infrastructure investments position the continent at the top of the Agricultural Value Chain. CNBC Africa is joined by Ronnie Ntuli, Founder and Chairman of Thelo Group, to zoom into Africa Investment Forum set up to assist make it easier to get investments to Africa.</p>


Unlocking Africa’s agricultural potential

<p><a href="https://www.cta.int/en/about-cta">By Michael Hailu, CTA Director.</a></p>
<p>As the impacts of climate change and conflicts threaten progress towards addressing global hunger, we need to apply new thinking in agriculture. Agricultural innovation can strengthen the resilience of agri-food systems and offer adaptation strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change.</p>
<p>At CTA, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation, we believe that investment in the right innovations in agriculture will help to catalyse development.</p>
<p>Youth, digitilisation and climate resilience are CTA’s priority intervention areas in its refreshed strategic plan, 2018-2020, which, are critical to driving progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. All three are in line with the The European Consensus on Development, based around the 5 Ps: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership.</p>
<p>African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have identified youth employment as a key determinant factor for sustainable development. An empowered workforce starts with the engagement of youth and youth organisations. At CTA we have learned how to harness the vitality and spirit of youth. Through our ‘Agrihack’ contests we have offered many young entrepreneurs a step-up to becoming the next generation agribusiness leaders driving change in the agricultural revolution.</p>
<p>Many of these ‘agripreneurs’ bring ICT solutions to age-old problems. In the digitalisation of agriculture, we see smallholder farmers being offered new ways to improve their livelihoods. The implications for productivity, reduction of food waste and even gender equity are enormous and CTA is now considered a guiding force in this area.</p>
<p>Digitalisation is also at the heart of climate-smart agriculture. Many solutions that can help agricultural systems to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change have emerged. The challenge is in the delivery of these solutions to farmers that need them the most. CTA therefore focuses on the development of partnerships to guide the implementation of climate-smart agriculture.</p>
<p>We will achieve nothing without such partnerships, and so, I look forward to continuing our important work together with the support of the ACP Group of States and the European Union.</p>


OpEd: How a focus on youth and women entrepreneurship can benefit agribusiness, livelihoods and create jobs

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<p>There has been increased accessibility of technologies in Africa which brought life-enhancing changes in different sectors such as agriculture. However this increase is disproportionate to adoption, according to experts. Njoki thuo, Head of engagement at Wefarm discusses ways to improve adoption and what Africa needs to do to achieve green revolution.</p>


How can technology adoption fast track green revolution in Africa

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<p>A few weeks ago, Syngenta one of the leading agriculture companies helping to improve global food security announced plans to engage stakeholders in agriculture from around the world in a three month exercise with an aim of building a shared vision for the future of sustainable agriculture. But why now? Kinyua M’mbijjewe, Head of Corporate Affairs for Africa and the Middle East at Syngenta joins CNBC Africa to share more.</p>


Syngenta announces plans to engage stakeholders in agriculture

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<p>Agricultural experts argue that soil testing is an essential part of profitable farm management. The practice would save a farmer money and help them increase their yields by up to three times. For more from an expert in this field, CNBC Africa spoke to Jeremy Cordingley, Managing Director of Crop Nutrition Laboratory Services for more.</p>


Is soil testing the real deal?

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<p>Despite the slow growth in Nigeria’s GDP for the second quarter of the year, the agriculture sector grew by 1.19 per cent year on year making it a major contributor to the country’s non-oil sector. Emmanuel Ijewere, Chairman Best Foods joins CNBC Africa to discuss the trends in the sector.</p>


Analysing Nigeria’s agric sector in Q2

<p><a href="http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Industrial_agriculture">Industrial agriculture</a> – farming that involves the intensive production of livestock, poultry, fish and crops – is one of the most environmentally destructive forms of land use. It depends on mechanisation and on inputs like synthetic fertiliser and harmful pesticides and herbicides and has led to widespread contamination of <a href="http://www.ipes-food.org/how-to-leave-industrial-agriculture-behind-food-systems-experts-urge-global-shift-towards-agroecology">soil and water</a>. It also relies on just a few major crops like wheat, maize, soybean and rice, the seeds of which are owned by a mere handful of companies.</p>
<p>A different approach to agriculture is sorely needed. This should, ideally, deliver household food security, ensure sustainable livelihoods and produce quality nutrition in a rapidly changing climate.</p>
<p>Developing countries that are industrialising at a pace are uniquely placed to avoid developing a dependency on one type of technological innovation at the expense of others. This is what is known as technological lock-in, with industrial agriculture being one form of lock-in. Such countries are also well placed to establish alternative ways to grow food that maximise livelihoods and sustainable food production.</p>
<p>For instance, Brazil, India, China and South Africa have agricultural sectors that have both industrialised farmers and resource-poor farmers who practice low-input agriculture. These countries offer important spaces for strengthening practices that are well suited to the challenges facing smallholder farmers. And ones that are more environmentally sound.</p>
<p>A change in these countries could pioneer alternative approaches for other developing countries.</p>
<p>The basis for <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00139157.2018.1472507">alternative agricultural systems</a> already exists. They’re <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/019/mj760e/mj760e.pdf">practised</a> by at least 75% of the world’s 1.5 billion smallholders, family farmers and indigenous peoples.</p>
<p>These alternatives fall broadly under the umbrella of agroecology. Their key characteristics include the use of technologies based on ecological knowledge, as well as a focus on family farming and local production. They also have low levels of external inputs, and are diversified.</p>
<p>Developing countries could leapfrog industrial agriculture systems and move toward an agricultural sector that’s run on agroecological principles. But this needs increased public investment and a policy environment that’s conducive to encouraging the approach.</p>
<h2>Millions are doing it already</h2>
<p>Agroecology is already practised by millions of small-scale farmers <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00139157.2018.1472507">across the world</a>. China and India, for example, account for 35% and 24% of the world’s 570 million family farms. In Brazil, 78% of farms are less than 50 hectares. In South Africa there are about four million small-scale and <a href="http://www.plaas.org.za/plaas-publication/RR53_ssca_okunlola%20et%20al">mostly subsistence farmers</a>.</p>
<p>These farms play a critical role in food security. This is especially true at a local level. But these farmers also face numerous challenges: access to land and capital, secure land rights, appropriate extension and advice, increased climate variability and market access.</p>
<p>The question is whether public money in emerging economies is being used to address these challenges and the needs of small farmers. Or is it being used to prop up large-scale industrial agriculture?</p>
<p>Many emerging economies have dual forms of agriculture – both industrialised and small-scale. Yet investment in agricultural innovations typically centre only on priorities for industrialised farming.</p>
<p>Genetic engineering is an example. It has become one of the main areas of focus in agricultural research over the past three decades. Highly specialised – it involves the modification of an organism by manipulating its genes – it needs high levels of investment. Those developing it also expect high returns and it’s very much a “top-down” approach, removed from the context and knowledge of most of the world’s farmers, and often bringing questionable benefits.</p>
<h2>Solutions</h2>
<p>Smallholder agriculture is increasingly important in emerging economies. There is a need for alternative agricultural solutions. Emerging economies can be leaders in this field.</p>
<p>Agroecology presents a tested and forward-looking approach. But it needs to be institutionalised in the allocation of research funding and in science and technology policy.</p>
<p>Agricultural research and development is already playing an important role. Over the past decade there have been increased investments by emerging economies in <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/agricultural-rd-is-on-the-move-1.20571">agricultural research</a>. For example Chinese government investment in agricultural research doubled from 2001 to 2008, exceeding any country <a href="http://www.ifpri.org/publication/china-recent-developments-public-agricultural-research">except the US</a>. Brazil similarly increased agricultural research and development spending by 46% between <a href="http://www.ifpri.org/publication/brazil-0">2006 and 2013</a>. South Africa’s investment level is more erratic. But it’s still high compared to most other sub-Saharan countries.</p>
<p>More needs to be done. Additional steps should include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Increased cooperation in agricultural research between countries with large public sector institutes like Brazil and China, and countries with less research capacity, such as Mozambique and Malawi;</li>
<li>Demonstrating the validity and economic potential of agro-ecology. This can be achieved by drawing on farmers’ knowledge, developed over centuries of experimentation; and</li>
<li>Redesigning formal training and extension programmes to incorporate local knowledge and have a stronger uptake of agroecology in places where resources are scarce.</li>
</ul>
<p>Emerging economies provide an important opportunity to upscale agroecological innovations to help improve the livelihoods of small and resource-poor farmers and address environmental problems. But they need public investment and an enabling environment to flourish.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100097/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-wynberg-165595">Rachel Wynberg</a>, Associate Professor and DST/NRF Bio-economy Research Chair, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cape-town-691">University of Cape Town</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-pereira-321109">Laura Pereira</a>, Researcher/Lecturer at the Centre for Complex Systems in Transition, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/stellenbosch-university-1439">Stellenbosch University</a></em></p>
<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-developing-countries-should-boost-the-ways-of-small-scale-farming-100097">original article</a>.</p>

Different approach to agriculture needed: Here’s why small-scale farming should be boosted in Africa

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<p>The 1st Annual Bio Africa Convention is underway in Durban &#8211; designed to showcase Africa’s biotechnology innovations in the health, agriculture and industrial sectors. CNBC Africa spoke to GM of Mundi Pharma, Shannon Te Roeller, about the need for better policy around healthcare innovation in the biotech space.</p>


Role of biotechnology in improving health care

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<p>Rising temperatures are characteristic of the changing global climate and the warnings of the implications that this change could have on production and agriculture, are no longer just hypothesises but a reality for many. Can a climate outlook meeting that opened in Kigali crack the code to the solutions for the challenges that climate change is leaving behind? Dr. Guleid Artan, Director, Climate Prediction and Application Center at IGAD joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Climate Outlook forum opens in Kigali: Will it help solve climate problem?

<p>Global agriculture is facing unprecedented challenges. It’s estimated that the world’s population will reach <a href="http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/docs/Issues_papers/HLEF2050_Global_Agriculture.pdf">9.1 billion</a> by 2050 with an ever expanding middle class. Current food production levels will have to be increased <a href="http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/docs/Issues_papers/HLEF2050_Global_Agriculture.pdf">by 70%</a> to meet future nutrition requirements.</p>
<p>At the same time, the challenges posed by climate change, water, nutrients and energy are converging.</p>
<p>About <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/world/high-price-desertification-23-hectares-land-minute">12 million hectares</a> of land becomes degraded each year. Droughts and floods are becoming more frequent and larger. For a host of reasons Africa is at the eye of this storm. Some reasons include the fact that southern Africa has already <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229571074_An_overview_of_environmental_issues_in_Southern_Africa?_esc=publicationCoverPdf&amp;el=1_x_2&amp;enrichId=rgreq-f66703e9002784161a8ae55da3316e2b-XXX&amp;enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzIyOTU3MTA3NDtBUzoxMDIyMDQyNTgxMjc4ODNAMTQwMTM3ODgwMjc3Ng%3D%3D">lost 25% of its soil fertility</a>. And some countries on the continent have some of the highest population growth rates globally.</p>
<p>All of these issues must be tackled. And good water management is among the most crucial factors if Africa is to navigate an uncertain future. Water is essential for agriculture. African countries must, as a matter of urgency, develop coherent and strategic policies around water, land and agriculture.</p>
<p>There is work underway, including <a href="https://gwf.usask.ca/impc/about/about-us.php">my own research</a> and projects being run in <a href="https://www.fruitlook.co.za/">South Africa</a> and <a href="https://www.waterexchange.com.au/">Australia</a>, that might hold lessons for African countries which want to manage their water better.</p>
<p>The initiatives include investing in irrigation infrastructure, the smart use of technology in water management such as tools to predict and manage the flow of water, as well as mobile apps for farmers.</p>
<h2>Investment</h2>
<p>Irrigated agriculture is <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y3918E/y3918e10.htm">much more productive</a> than rain fed agriculture. That’s why both land and water management must be considered within the question of achieving sustainable and productive agriculture.</p>
<p>In North America’s highly productive arid prairie regions, such as the Prairie provinces of Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) and the prairie regions of the US, governments and farmers <a href="http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/may-2017/sustainable-agriculture-and-innovation/">have invested</a> a lot of capital into groundwater and surface water extraction, as well as irrigation infrastructure.</p>
<p>That has allowed the development of increasingly intensive and productive agriculture. Similar investments into irrigation infrastructure are needed in Africa to boost agricultural productivity. Some examples of fairly complex and extensive irrigation schemes do already exist in Africa. One is the transfer of water from the Gariep Dam to the Fish and Sundays rivers in the Eastern Cape province, which supports intensive citrus farming. Although the ecological sustainability of this example is questionable, it does show that Africa has the capacity to develop irrigation schemes.</p>
<p>Such highly productive agricultural regions will be essential for ensuring future food security, both nationally and internationally. Regions in Africa with high potential for intensive, yet sustainable agriculture through irrigation will need to be identified and developed.</p>
<h2>Technology</h2>
<p>Technology is also playing an increasingly important role in farming, irrigation and water management.</p>
<p>Modelling tools such as hydrological and water management models have emerged as an essential component of water management. My colleagues and I at the <a href="https://gwf.usask.ca/impc/">Integrated Modelling Program for Canada</a> are developing tools that can be used to predict and manage the water flow and water quality of Canada’s large river basins. Similar initiatives are needed in other countries. The models developed, along with knowledge gained by our project, can help guide water management in other regions.</p>
<p>Other technological improvements include the development of smart plants that are more drought tolerant thanks to genetic modification and genome editing. Some plants can also be <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608535/to-feed-the-world-improve-photosynthesis/">engineered</a> to use more efficient photosynthetic pathways that fully use the sun’s available energy. This development holds promise for the hot climates of Africa.</p>
<p>Irrigation management is now using remote sensing data. Much of these data are freely available and cover the entire planet. For instance, remote sensing is used to pinpoint areas of wet and dry zones in cultivated fields. This allows for variable irrigation management and remote sensing estimates of crop water requirements. Australia’s <a href="https://irrisat-cloud.appspot.com/">IrriSAT</a>, which uses the <a href="http://irrisat-cloud.appspot.com/">Google Earth Engine</a>, is one example of this approach.</p>
<p>A South African technology is using <a href="https://www.fruitlook.co.za/">remote sensing</a> to help farmers in the Western Cape province save water.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/223291">Mobile apps</a> are currently being piloted in Rwanda to help farmers. These will provide information on weather, rainfall and soil humidity to allow better farm management and productivity, as well as information on markets.</p>
<p>These are positive, but small, steps. It’s clear that the African continent has a lot of catching up to do if it’s to tackle its water management issues.</p>
<h2>The way forward</h2>
<p>African governments need to pursue collaborations with international institutions interested in working with the continent. For example, the <a href="http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/home/?id=1395690825741">Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration</a> has shown interest in working with African governments. The organisation has developed expertise in managing drought and land degradation since it was established in the 1930s.</p>
<p>And established institutions in Africa such as the <a href="http://www.wrc.org.za/">Water Research Commission</a> and the <a href="http://www.arc.agric.za/Pages/Home.aspx">Agricultural Research Council</a> should be strengthened and new institutions created. This would encourage more sharing of knowledge throughout Africa.</p>
<p><br />
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/101762/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />In addition, knowledge of best agricultural practices developed elsewhere should be assessed and adapted for African conditions. Importantly, efforts should be made to reduce the red tape that currently prevents the application of existing technology.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-slaughter-398809">Andrew Slaughter</a>, Visiting professor, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-saskatchewan-1403">University of Saskatchewan</a></em></p>
<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-africa-can-up-its-game-on-water-management-for-agriculture-101762">original article</a>.</p>

What Africa needs to do to ensure good water management for agriculture

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<p>African countries are looking for ways to engage the youth to participate in agriculture by using ICT as they bid to boost job opportunities and strengthening efforts against hunger. Will the August 20th to 21st 2018 meeting on youth and agriculture provide solutions to this puzzle? Gaulbert Gbehounou, FAO Country representative in Rwanda joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Can technology lure Africa’s youth into agriculture?

<p>Justina Crabtree</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/03/south-africas-business-friendly-president-alarms-investors-with-land-.html">South Africa’s business-friendly president alarms investors with land grab proposal</a></p>
<ul>
<li>Cyril Ramaphosa announced this week that his government is to press on with a plan to overhaul how land is owned.</li>
<li>The ruling ANC party is to put through parliament an amendment to the constitution that would permit the seizing of land without expropriation.</li>
</ul>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://d16akly8855cs7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/04200236/105373632-1533275407868gettyimages-916967692.1910x1000.jpg" alt="" height="1000" width="1910" data-licensor-name="RODGER BOSCH | AFP | Getty Images"/></p>
<p>South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced this week that his government is to press on with a plan to overhaul how land is owned in the country, a move that has alarmed some investors in Africa&#8217;s most developed economy.</p>
<p>Ramaphosa said Tuesday that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party is to put through parliament an amendment to the South African constitution that would permit the seizing of land without compensation.</p>
<p>The bulk of South Africa&#8217;s land is owned by its minority white population, a vestige of its colonial past. Although apartheid ended almost 25 years ago, South African society remains one of the most unequal in the world.</p>
<p>&#8220;It has become pertinently clear that our people want the constitution to be more explicit about expropriation of land without compensation as demonstrated in the public hearings,&#8221; said Ramaphosa in a televised address.</p>
<p>He said that the proposal would &#8220;promote redress, advance economic development, increase agricultural production and food security.&#8221;</p>
<p>But, some investors are fearful that constitutionalizing land grabs would undermine business stability and economic growth, which has remained subpar thanks to years of corruption under former President Jacob Zuma&#8217;s administration. South Africa&#8217;s already-high unemployment rate rose in the second quarter of this year to 27.2 percent, it was announced Tuesday.</p>
<p>The volatile rand dropped to a one-week low of near 13.40 per U.S. dollar overnight after Ramaphosa&#8217;s announcement, according to Reuters.</p>
<p>Ramaphosa is walking a tightrope</p>
<p>Building bridges with the investment community has been of paramount importance to Ramaphosa since he<br />
took power in February<br />
. The president, himself a business tycoon and one of South Africa&#8217;s richest men, is on a mission to raise $100 billion in foreign investment.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://d16akly8855cs7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/04200241/105373625-1533274925072gettyimages-898614786.1910x1000.jpg" alt="" height="1000" width="1910" data-licensor-name="Gulshan Khan | AFP | Getty Images"/></p>
<p>But, the president is walking a tightrope between satiating investors and the South African electorate, which is due to head to the polls next year.</p>
<p>South Africa-based analysis firm NKC African Economics described the announcement as &#8220;populist rhetoric with no clear answers,&#8221; in a note published Wednesday.</p>
<p>In neighboring Zimbabwe, land-grabbing is a now notorious policy associated with former strongman leader Robert Mugabe as the country adjusted to black majority rule. In the early 2000s, Mugabe pushed thousands of white farmers off their land to the result of food shortages, hyperinflation and violence — as well as contributing to the country&#8217;s international ostracization.</p>
<p>After South Africa&#8217;s white minority rule ended in 1994, the ANC has adhered to a &#8220;willing seller, willing buyer&#8221; framework. This means that the South African government buys white-owned farms for redistribution among the black population.</p>
<p>Investor perception versus reality</p>
<p>But, some analysts have sought to stymie investor worries.</p>
<p>&#8220;The perception is worse than the reality,&#8221; wrote Ben Payton, head of Africa research at consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, in a note on Wednesday. Payton pointed out that the amendment&#8217;s passing is dependent on political process and not necessarily a done deal.</p>
<p>Ramaphosa&#8217;s announcement was &#8220;almost certainly intended as a populist distraction from recent bad news on the economy,&#8221; Payton said. He added that the reality of any changes to the constitution were likely to be less significant than investors fear due to constitutional provisions and the president&#8217;s own views.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://d16akly8855cs7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/14160225/105031798-GettyImages-916957534.1910x1000.jpg" alt="" height="1000" width="1910" data-licensor-name="Rodger Bosch | AFP | Getty Images"/></p>
<p>&#8220;Even so, while the direct economic impacts are likely to be limited, any threat to property rights will inevitably scare off much-needed investment,&#8221; Payton said.</p>
<p>John Ashbourne, senior emerging markets economist at consulting firm Capital Economics, echoed Payton&#8217;s sentiment. He also pointed out Ramaphosa&#8217;s lack of detail in the announcement.</p>
<p>&#8220;The political salience of agriculture far exceeds its economic weight; the sector makes up just 2 percent of (gross domestic product),&#8221; Ashbourne wrote in a note Wednesday. But, given the volatility of South African markets, particularly in the face of political news, &#8220;heated political rhetoric will probably shock the rand and gradually undermine investor confidence, even if — as we expect — the eventual amendment is relatively modest.&#8221;</p>


South Africa’s business-friendly president alarms investors with land grab proposal

<p>Justina Crabtree</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/03/south-africas-business-friendly-president-alarms-investors-with-land-.html">South Africa’s business-friendly president alarms investors with land grab proposal</a></p>
<ul>
<li>Cyril Ramaphosa announced this week that his government is to press on with a plan to overhaul how land is owned.</li>
<li>The ruling ANC party is to put through parliament an amendment to the constitution that would permit the seizing of land without expropriation.</li>
</ul>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cdn.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/04200236/105373632-1533275407868gettyimages-916967692.1910x1000.jpg" alt="" height="1000" width="1910" data-licensor-name="RODGER BOSCH | AFP | Getty Images"/></p>
<p>South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced this week that his government is to press on with a plan to overhaul how land is owned in the country, a move that has alarmed some investors in Africa&#8217;s most developed economy.</p>
<p>Ramaphosa said Tuesday that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party is to put through parliament an amendment to the South African constitution that would permit the seizing of land without expropriation.</p>
<p>The bulk of South Africa&#8217;s land is owned by its minority white population, a vestige of its colonial past. Although apartheid ended almost 25 years ago, South African society remains one of the most unequal in the world.</p>
<p>&#8220;It has become pertinently clear that our people want the constitution to be more explicit about expropriation of land without compensation as demonstrated in the public hearings,&#8221; said Ramaphosa in a televised address.</p>
<p>He said that the proposal would &#8220;promote redress, advance economic development, increase agricultural production and food security.&#8221;</p>
<p>But, some investors are fearful that constitutionalizing land grabs would undermine business stability and economic growth, which has remained subpar thanks to years of corruption under former President Jacob Zuma&#8217;s administration. South Africa&#8217;s already-high unemployment rate rose in the second quarter of this year to 27.2 percent, it was announced Tuesday.</p>
<p>The volatile rand dropped to a one-week low of near 13.40 per U.S. dollar overnight after Ramaphosa&#8217;s announcement, according to Reuters.</p>
<p>Ramaphosa is walking a tightrope</p>
<p>Building bridges with the investment community has been of paramount importance to Ramaphosa since he<br />
took power in February<br />
. The president, himself a business tycoon and one of South Africa&#8217;s richest men, is on a mission to raise $100 billion in foreign investment.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cdn.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/04200241/105373625-1533274925072gettyimages-898614786.1910x1000.jpg" alt="" height="1000" width="1910" data-licensor-name="Gulshan Khan | AFP | Getty Images"/></p>
<p>But, the president is walking a tightrope between satiating investors and the South African electorate, which is due to head to the polls next year.</p>
<p>South Africa-based analysis firm NKC African Economics described the announcement as &#8220;populist rhetoric with no clear answers,&#8221; in a note published Wednesday.</p>
<p>In neighboring Zimbabwe, land-grabbing is a now notorious policy associated with former strongman leader Robert Mugabe as the country adjusted to black majority rule. In the early 2000s, Mugabe pushed thousands of white farmers off their land to the result of food shortages, hyperinflation and violence — as well as contributing to the country&#8217;s international ostracization.</p>
<p>After South Africa&#8217;s white minority rule ended in 1994, the ANC has adhered to a &#8220;willing seller, willing buyer&#8221; framework. This means that the South African government buys white-owned farms for redistribution among the black population.</p>
<p>Investor perception versus reality</p>
<p>But, some analysts have sought to stymie investor worries.</p>
<p>&#8220;The perception is worse than the reality,&#8221; wrote Ben Payton, head of Africa research at consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, in a note on Wednesday. Payton pointed out that the amendment&#8217;s passing is dependent on political process and not necessarily a done deal.</p>
<p>Ramaphosa&#8217;s announcement was &#8220;almost certainly intended as a populist distraction from recent bad news on the economy,&#8221; Payton said. He added that the reality of any changes to the constitution were likely to be less significant than investors fear due to constitutional provisions and the president&#8217;s own views.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cdn.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/14160225/105031798-GettyImages-916957534.1910x1000.jpg" alt="" height="1000" width="1910" data-licensor-name="Rodger Bosch | AFP | Getty Images"/></p>
<p>&#8220;Even so, while the direct economic impacts are likely to be limited, any threat to property rights will inevitably scare off much-needed investment,&#8221; Payton said.</p>
<p>John Ashbourne, senior emerging markets economist at consulting firm Capital Economics, echoed Payton&#8217;s sentiment. He also pointed out Ramaphosa&#8217;s lack of detail in the announcement.</p>
<p>&#8220;The political salience of agriculture far exceeds its economic weight; the sector makes up just 2 percent of (gross domestic product),&#8221; Ashbourne wrote in a note Wednesday. But, given the volatility of South African markets, particularly in the face of political news, &#8220;heated political rhetoric will probably shock the rand and gradually undermine investor confidence, even if — as we expect — the eventual amendment is relatively modest.&#8221;</p>


<p>Justina Crabtree</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/25/china-xi-and-india-modi-lend-to-africa-ahead-of-brics-summit.html">China and India launch investment spree in Africa ahead of key summit</a></p>
<ul>
<li>Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have committed loans to several African countries this week.</li>
<li>On Tuesday Xi pledged $14.7 billion to South Africa, while Modi announced that Uganda would receive $200 million.</li>
<li>China is far more prevalent on the African continent than India.</li>
<li>Both Xi and Modi will attend a three day BRICS summit in South Africa which starts on Wednesday.</li>
</ul>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://d16akly8855cs7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/26140237/105351685-1532520817860gettyimages-1007053200.1910x1000.jpg" alt="" height="1000" width="1910" data-licensor-name="Sheng Jiapeng | China News Service | VCG"/></p>
<p>Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have continued to lend in tandem to African countries ahead of a major emerging markets summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, beginning on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Xi, arriving in South Africa on Tuesday, pledged $14.7 billion of investment to the country.</p>
<p>His South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa is attempting to reboot the country’s economy after years of mismanagement and stagnation under former President Jacob Zuma. Ramaphosa’s target is to raise $100 billion in foreign investment.</p>
<p>The South African<br />
rand<br />
 rose 1 percent on the news of China’s commitment, according to Reuters.</p>
<p>$2.8 billion of China’s cash will be siphoned off into South Africa’s primary state utility Eskom. The struggling public firm reported a $171 million full-year loss on Monday.</p>
<p>Modi’s lending on behalf of India has been more modest, as the world’s fastest-growing major economy trails China’s ubiquity on the African continent.</p>
<p>During a flying visit to Uganda, Modi pledged $205 million to the East African country. The sum is intended to help Uganda develop its dominant agricultural sector and electricity distribution infrastructure.</p>
<p>‘Alternatives to the West’</p>
<p>Both Xi and Modi were in<br />
Rwanda<br />
 earlier this week, where a total of over $300 million was announced in loans. The money will develop the tiny, landlocked East African nation’s agriculture, roads and special economic zones.</p>
<p>Analysts CNBC spoke to read the news as Rwandan President Paul Kagame sending a defiant message to the U.S. over trade, amid an ongoing<br />
spat<br />
 over second-hand clothes.</p>
<p>TWEET</p>
<p>Among African countries, “China and India are viewed as alternatives to the West,” Anna Rosenberg, research director at emerging markets advisory firm Frontier Strategy Group, told CNBC via e-mail.</p>
<p>“Since economic growth has accelerated and interest from other emerging markets has picked up, African governments are glad to have more choice among those that are willing to support development efforts.”</p>
<p>While China’s ready capital dwarfs that provided by India, the latter country can share its technological advances with Africa, Munish Gupta, vice president of the India Chamber of Commerce, told CNBC Africa. “Today, China shares very little of its technology with the rest of the world,” he said.</p>
<p>Rosenberg added that given China’s prominence on the African continent, countries were “now well aware of the strings attached” to business deals. Meanwhile, “Africans are well exposed to Indian work culture,” she said, given that “there are many African/Indian run distribution companies across the continent, especially in East Africa, typically run by locals of Indian descent.”</p>
<p>Xi and Modi are to attend a three day<br />
BRICS<br />
 (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit, uniting the leaders of the bloc which encompasses the five emerging economies.</p>
<p>Brazilian President Michel Temer and Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be joining host Ramaphosa. Trade, given the current climate of U.S.-China import tariffs, is<br />
set to dominate the agenda<br />
.</p>
<p/>


China and India launch investment spree in Africa ahead of key summit

<p>Justina Crabtree</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/25/china-xi-and-india-modi-lend-to-africa-ahead-of-brics-summit.html">China and India launch investment spree in Africa ahead of key summit</a></p>
<ul>
<li>Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have committed loans to several African countries this week.</li>
<li>On Tuesday Xi pledged $14.7 billion to South Africa, while Modi announced that Uganda would receive $200 million.</li>
<li>China is far more prevalent on the African continent than India.</li>
<li>Both Xi and Modi will attend a three day BRICS summit in South Africa which starts on Wednesday.</li>
</ul>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cdn.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/26140237/105351685-1532520817860gettyimages-1007053200.1910x1000.jpg" alt="" height="1000" width="1910" data-licensor-name="Sheng Jiapeng | China News Service | VCG"/></p>
<p>Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have continued to lend in tandem to African countries ahead of a major emerging markets summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, beginning on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Xi, arriving in South Africa on Tuesday, pledged $14.7 billion of investment to the country.</p>
<p>His South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa is attempting to reboot the country’s economy after years of mismanagement and stagnation under former President Jacob Zuma. Ramaphosa’s target is to raise $100 billion in foreign investment.</p>
<p>The South African<br />
rand<br />
 rose 1 percent on the news of China’s commitment, according to Reuters.</p>
<p>$2.8 billion of China’s cash will be siphoned off into South Africa’s primary state utility Eskom. The struggling public firm reported a $171 million full-year loss on Monday.</p>
<p>Modi’s lending on behalf of India has been more modest, as the world’s fastest-growing major economy trails China’s ubiquity on the African continent.</p>
<p>During a flying visit to Uganda, Modi pledged $205 million to the East African country. The sum is intended to help Uganda develop its dominant agricultural sector and electricity distribution infrastructure.</p>
<p>‘Alternatives to the West’</p>
<p>Both Xi and Modi were in<br />
Rwanda<br />
 earlier this week, where a total of over $300 million was announced in loans. The money will develop the tiny, landlocked East African nation’s agriculture, roads and special economic zones.</p>
<p>Analysts CNBC spoke to read the news as Rwandan President Paul Kagame sending a defiant message to the U.S. over trade, amid an ongoing<br />
spat<br />
 over second-hand clothes.</p>
<p>TWEET</p>
<p>Among African countries, “China and India are viewed as alternatives to the West,” Anna Rosenberg, research director at emerging markets advisory firm Frontier Strategy Group, told CNBC via e-mail.</p>
<p>“Since economic growth has accelerated and interest from other emerging markets has picked up, African governments are glad to have more choice among those that are willing to support development efforts.”</p>
<p>While China’s ready capital dwarfs that provided by India, the latter country can share its technological advances with Africa, Munish Gupta, vice president of the India Chamber of Commerce, told CNBC Africa. “Today, China shares very little of its technology with the rest of the world,” he said.</p>
<p>Rosenberg added that given China’s prominence on the African continent, countries were “now well aware of the strings attached” to business deals. Meanwhile, “Africans are well exposed to Indian work culture,” she said, given that “there are many African/Indian run distribution companies across the continent, especially in East Africa, typically run by locals of Indian descent.”</p>
<p>Xi and Modi are to attend a three day<br />
BRICS<br />
 (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit, uniting the leaders of the bloc which encompasses the five emerging economies.</p>
<p>Brazilian President Michel Temer and Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be joining host Ramaphosa. Trade, given the current climate of U.S.-China import tariffs, is<br />
set to dominate the agenda<br />
.</p>
<p/>


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</div>
<p>As many Conversations at the Transform Africa Summit focused on education, agriculture, trade and investments, participants feel there is urgent need to harness the dividend of the digital revolution in the creative industry.</p>


Africa’s creative industry urged to join the digital revolution

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</div>
<p>CNBC Africa caught up with Makhtar Diop, World Bank VP for Africa on the side-lines of the meeting and she started by asking him about the role of technology in sectors like agriculture and getting the right capital to develop these sectors.</p>


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South Africa’s business-friendly president alarms investors with land grab proposal

China and India launch investment spree in Africa ahead of key summit

China and India launch investment spree in Africa ahead of key summit

Africa’s creative industry urged to join the digital revolution

WB’s Makhtar Diop speaks on role of technology in agriculture

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agriculture

Unlocking Africa’s agricultural potential

OpEd: How a focus on youth and women entrepreneurship can benefit agribusiness, livelihoods and create jobs

How can technology adoption fast track green revolution in Africa

Syngenta announces plans to engage stakeholders in agriculture

Is soil testing the real deal?

Analysing Nigeria’s agric sector in Q2

Different approach to agriculture needed: Here’s why small-scale farming should be boosted in Africa

Role of biotechnology in improving health care

Climate Outlook forum opens in Kigali: Will it help solve climate problem?

What Africa needs to do to ensure good water management for agriculture

Can technology lure Africa’s youth into agriculture?

South Africa’s business-friendly president alarms investors with land grab proposal

South Africa’s business-friendly president alarms investors with land grab proposal

China and India launch investment spree in Africa ahead of key summit

China and India launch investment spree in Africa ahead of key summit

Africa’s creative industry urged to join the digital revolution

WB’s Makhtar Diop speaks on role of technology in agriculture

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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