August 2023

16 August 2023 – The fresh produce industry seemed to be facing a “never-ending series of challenges”, ranging from inflation, extreme weather events, rising input costs, logistic disruptions and poor infrastructure, to labour shortages and lagging fresh produce consumption, according to Burns. “These challenges are not unique to South Africa, but are experienced in various […]

15 August 2023 – Agriculture’s record performance is likely to decelerate as export earnings will likely soften this year, experts said yesterday. Economic growth for the agricultural sector was likely to be modest or even trend slightly negative, Absa AgriBusiness senior economist Dr Marlene Louw said yesterday. Maize export prices had eased substantially from last

14 August 2023 – The manufacturing sector has demonstrated an impressive performance in June 2023, showing a 5.5% increase in production compared to the same period in the previous year. Manufacturing production relatively upbeat The manufacturing sector has demonstrated an impressive performance in June 2023, showing a 5.5% increase in production (as per the STATSSA

11 August 2023 – Companies from South Africa and China concluded trade deals worth R41.48 billion during a visit to the country by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. The agreements were made at a meeting of a joint economic and trade committee aimed at boosting South African manufacturing exports to China and Chinese investment in

10 August 2023 – China last month suffered its biggest fall in exports for more than three years, official data showed Tuesday, as the world’s second-largest economy is battered by sluggish global demand and a domestic slowdown. The data will likely ramp up calls for leaders to do more to revive growth, having laid out

7 August 2023 – South African citrus farmers want their government to lodge a complaint against the European Union at the World Trade Organisation over the European bloc’s citrus black spot regulations which they say threaten thousands of jobs. The measures imposed by the EU in June 2022 require enhanced cold treatment for citrus exports

4 August 2023 – The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has issued a warning about the potential impact of the El Niño weather conditions on food prices, which could push up consumer inflation in the months ahead and force the bank to raise interest rates once again. This comes just as consumer inflation dipped within

3 August 2023 – After reaching its highest index level on record at a revised 122.6 in May, the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI) declined by 0,5% in June 2023 to 122.0. This is the first monthly contraction in six months and signals the loss of momentum in the logistics sector. Early in

2 August 2023 – South Africa’s merchandise trade balance unexpectedly dipped in June, with the value of the country’s exports and imports shrinking to register a trade shortfall of R3.5 billion. Lower export figures were mainly due to fall in the value of mineral goods, precious metals and stones, as well as vehicle and transport

1 August 2023 – Global fertiliser suppliers have made incredibly high profits in 2022/23 on the back of price spikes attributed to the Russia-Ukraine war. The profits of the world’s top nine producers trebled in 2022 from two years previously. The margins and impacts have been even greater on fertiliser supplies to African farmers. Moreover, the super-high