President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Wandile Sihlobo as presidential envoy on agriculture and land to accelerate growth and address structural challenges in the sector.
Sihlobo is currently chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
He also serves as a senior lecturer extraordinary in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University and has published extensively on agricultural policy, land reform and food security.
With more than a decade of experience in agriculture and academia, Sihlobo 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.
The Presidency said in a statement on Saturday that Sihlobo was appointed in view of the importance of agriculture in South Africa’s economic growth path, recurrent challenges in the sector and growth opportunities domestically and abroad.
In this role, Sihlobo will support the Presidency’s priorities and objectives on agriculture, rural development, land reform and international trade, working closely with responsible departments.
The envoy will also collaborate with state-owned entities, including the Agricultural Research Council, Land Bank and Onderstepoort Biological Products, in support of agricultural development and growth opportunities.
He will engage other stakeholders from time to time, including the private sector, to unlock progress and realise tangible gains.
The ultimate goal is to advance the Presidency’s priorities for overcoming constraints to agricultural growth and boosting competitiveness, inclusion and the sector’s export profile.
