Commercial property boom in South Africa
Commercial property in South Africa is rebounding strongly, offering high yields, longer leases, and low vacancies, but experts caution that successful investing involves weighing a number of factors.
According to Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, the total value of agricultural exports in these months amounted to $3.36 billion.
Speaking to the press, the Minister attributed the increase to the government's efforts to expand access to international markets and defend commercial interests.
For example, we facilitate access to avocados in China, corn in Japan and India, beef in Iran, and table grapes in the Philippines and Vietnam.
Among the sector's achievements, Steenhuisen highlighted the swift resolution of Botswana's temporary ban on South African corn and wheat, which allowed borders to reopen in just two weeks.
On the other hand, he continued, over the past year, South Africa established the National Biosecurity Pact and a Biosecurity Council, which brings together scientists, industry experts, and officials to coordinate responses to zoonotic outbreaks.
Among the initiatives managed by that body, he said, are the deployment of animal health technicians to vaccinate against foot-and-mouth disease in the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, the restart of the National Biosecurity Center with the University of Pretoria, and the launch of the country's first avian influenza vaccination campaign.
"These efforts," the Minister stated, "are restoring confidence in our export systems and protecting farmers from catastrophic losses."
South Africa is also investing in climate-smart agriculture, pollinator protection, agroecology, and digital agricultural technology tools to make the sector more attractive and resilient for future generations, he continued.
He also said that participation in global forums was key.
The South African delegation to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in China secured new protocols for wool, dairy, and meat exports.
High-level delegations to Davos, Japan, and Berlin further strengthened trade ties, and formal engagements with the G7, the African Union, and the G20 also advanced the country's market access and biosecurity agenda, he concluded.
