April 2020

Inflation Dips Slightly In March, But Data Only Reflects Prices Before Lockdown

23 April 2020 – South Africa’s headline inflation rate dipped in March, after sustained increases since November 2019 saw the annual consumer price index reach a 15-month high in February. According to figures released by Statistics SA on Wednesday, the annual consumer price index decreased to 4.1% year-on-year in March 2020, from 4.6% in February

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African farmers lose market access as COVID-19 crisis widens

22 April 2020 – Millions of family farmers across Africa are facing economic devastation as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts exports and global food supply chains. This was according to the April 2020 report, ‘Impact of Coronavirus on Africa’s Agriculture’, released by the Selina Wamucii international agriculture trading platform. The report examined the impact of COVID-19

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Wine Industry Left Confused After State Backtracks On Wine Export Ban

20 April 2020 – SA’s wine industry, a main economic driver contributing R38bn to the fiscus, has been left confused and frustrated after the government this week seemingly reversed an earlier decision to allow exports during the lockdown period. Last week, the government updated regulations to permit the transport of wines and fresh produce through

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South African Agriculture Has An Achilles Heel – Its Dependence On Imported Key Inputs

17 April 2020 – While South Africa is a net exporter of agricultural products, the country has to import a large proportion of the inputs it requires to produce this surplus, independent research body the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) warns. In its latest brief report, The Use of Agricultural Inputs in South Africa”, it highlights that

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Covid-19, Economic Climate Lead To Unpromising Trade Conditions

16 April 2020 – The Covid-19 pandemic and recessionary economic conditions have negatively impacted on the business climate and resulted in further trade condition uncertainty, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) says. Moreover, the organisation indicates that the State of Disaster announcement and the lockdown that started on March 26 caused a

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