Visiting Research Fellow, Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand
Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and the author of "Finding Common Ground: Land, Equity, and Agriculture." He is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Fort Hare and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Stellenbosch University. Sihlobo was appointed as a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Economic Advisory Council in 2019 after serving on the Presidential Expert Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture between 2018 and 2019. He is also a member of the Council of Statistics of South Africa (Stats SA). He is a Commissioner at the International Trade Commission of South Africa (ITAC).
Unlocking China: South Africa's Agricultural Trade Opportunities
Sep 16, 2024 08:36 am UTC| Insights & Views Business
South Africas agricultural sector has more than doubled in value and volume terms since 1994. This success has been linked to international trade. Exports now account for roughly half (in value terms) of the annual...
This is how President Ramaphosa got to the 25% figure of progress in land reform in South Africa
Mar 22, 2024 11:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Law Economy
Nearly three decades into democracy, land reform remains central to South Africas transformation policies and agricultural policy. We have over the years pointed out that the progress on land reform has been incorrectly...
South Africa’s farm exports are an economic lifeline – with weak spots
Sep 20, 2022 06:20 am UTC| Economy
International trade has been at the core of South Africas agricultural progress since the early 2000s. Since 1994, the country has excelled in opening up new markets, as evidenced by several free trade agreements with...
The EU's Green Deal: opportunities, threats and risks for South African agriculture
Oct 31, 2021 23:34 pm UTC| Politics Economy
The European Union among a host of other countries is seeking to implement urgent policy measures to combat the effects of climate change. In its 2030 climate target plan, the EU aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions...
Small towns are collapsing across South Africa. How it's starting to affect farming
Jun 20, 2021 12:13 pm UTC| Economy
Farming and agribusiness play a crucial role in sustaining the economies of small towns and rural areas. There is a lot of evidence of this in the economic literature and in the popular media. This dependency has its...