The writer, Jabulani Sikhakhane, has a fascinating column in the Business Day (October 8, 2025) about the need to rethink rural development in the former homelands of South Africa, extending the focus beyond agriculture.
Broadly, I agree with his sentiment and much of the literature he cites in his column, which states that communities need more than just agriculture.
However, I want to emphasise that since the dawn of democracy, South Africa has consistently failed to stimulate agricultural growth in the former homelands of this country. While South Africa’s agricultural economy has more than doubled since 1994, this expansion has mainly been in the traditionally commercial regions.
The former homelands remain in the periphery of agricultural growth, although some have access to fertile lands. Poor land governance and inadequate infrastructure are among the key constraints to agricultural development.
Therefore, it is unsurprising that households may lose hope in agriculture and seek to focus on other areas. They have, for over three decades, been stuck in subsistence farming, with no coherent government programme to assist.
This is an issue we detailed at length in my book, A Country of Two Agricultures, with proposed solutions that policymakers could consider to stimulate growth and job creation in rural South Africa.
Therefore, I would still argue that South Africa’s rural development should have agriculture as a central focus, but must adopt a different approach to farming that prioritises commercialisation to improve the economic conditions of the communities and bring much-needed jobs.
A valuable perspective, Wandile, and I fully agree that commercialisation must be central to rural development. Where I’d add emphasis is on what we choose to commercialise.
High-value, perennial crops like coffee can do more than sustain livelihoods, they can anchor regeneration, create jobs, and build export competitiveness in rural areas that have long been excluded from growth.
South Africa already has the land, the climate, and the people to grow exceptional Arabica coffee. What’s missing is the coordinated effort to unlock it. As your own work highlights, the bridge between subsistence and prosperity lies in strategy, infrastructure, and market access, all of which can be built around crops that combine value with resilience.
The opportunity is right beneath our feet.