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Higher Education Helpdesk resolves over 55 000 student queries

Source: Government of South Africa

Higher Education Helpdesk resolves over 55 000 student queries

More than 55 000 student queries have been resolved since the establishment of a student and stakeholder Helpdesk by Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, in August 2024.

The Helpdesk was established to serve as an interface between the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector, students and members of the public, seeking assistance and information.

So far, the helpdesk has managed 57 283 queries, with around 55 121 resolved and closed, achieving a 90% resolution rate. 

The helpdesk provides quick, personalised support to students and stakeholders, focusing on enquiries about the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), registration status, and issues such as delays in results, diplomas and certificates.

“The work of the Helpdesk closely aligns with my vision of connecting higher education with our communities. Every day through the Helpdesk, we support students and stakeholders by providing a direct platform for them to escalate their queries and grievances. It pleases me to see the Helpdesk growing and reaching the 55 000 milestone in resolved enquiries. This shows we are making a difference and positively impacting students and stakeholders,” the Deputy Minister said in a statement on Thursday.

To effectively assist students and stakeholders, the helpdesk works closely with the department’s internal Exam and Diploma section and with the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and University branches within the Department and NSFAS.

READ | Learners, students, urged to hold their heads up high

“With the increasing volume of queries, we are now transitioning to a digital Helpdesk for a faster, smarter, more accessible solution. In the meantime, please contact my Helpdesk by email at Dmsdesk@Dhet.gov.za,” said the Deputy Minister. –SAnews.gov.za

 

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Nas economias criativas de África, as mulheres estão a reivindicar a propriedade (Por Libby Allen)

Source: Africa Press Organisation – Portuguese –

Por Libby Allen, Vice-Presidente: Brand & Creative, APO Group (https://APO-opa.com).

Todos os anos, em março, o Dia Internacional da Mulher enche o calendário com campanhas, flores e anúncios cuidadosamente programados. O dia tem um peso histórico real – nasceu das reivindicações do início do século XX pelo direito ao trabalho, ao voto e à organização. A questão a que raramente chega é a que realmente vale a pena colocar: não quem é celebrado, mas quem controla o que foi construído.

Nas indústrias criativas africanas em 2026, esta questão tem respostas instrutivas. São económicas, não simbólicas. E estão a ser escritas por mulheres.

O argumento da propriedade

No Senegal, Diarra Bousso cresceu num lar onde a arte e o estilo eram uma linguagem quotidiana. Estudou matemática, trabalhou em Wall Street e regressou a Dakar com um modelo para uma marca de moda e estilo de vida: nada é feito até que alguém o peça.

A DIARRABLU, a marca que construiu a partir do telhado da casa dos seus pais, utiliza algoritmos matemáticos próprios para gerar desenhos, submete-os a uma votação da comunidade antes de uma única peça de vestuário ser cortada e produz inteiramente à medida das necessidades – conseguindo uma redução de 60% no desperdício e eliminando o excesso de stock. A sua cadeia de fornecimento é quase exclusivamente constituída por artesãos senegaleses. A PI – os algoritmos, a metodologia, o sistema de conceção – é inteiramente sua. O valor está no processo de Bousso, e o processo é detido por si.

Na África do Sul, o estúdio de jogos Nyamakop passou anos a construir algo difícil de copiar. Relooted, lançado no mês passado, é uma aventura passada numa Joanesburgo futurista, na qual o jogador recupera 70 artefactos africanos reais de museus ocidentais e coleções privadas. O jogo foi criado por uma equipa oriunda de mais de dez países africanos. Mohale Mashigo – o seu diretor narrativo, romancista e escritor de banda desenhada que também trabalhou para a Marvel e a DC – é preciso quanto à propriedade. Cada artefacto do jogo corresponde a um objeto real com uma história documentada, pertencente a um determinado povo.

Essa especificidade não é apenas um rigor artístico. O mundo de Relooted está construído de forma a não poder ser separado do seu próprio contexto e reutilizado noutro lugar. A cultura viaja de forma diferente quando é de autoria própria.

Na Nigéria, Mo Abudu aplica a mesma lógica à distribuição. A EbonyLife Media – a produtora e rede de televisão que fundou em 2012, cujos filmes e séries atraíram milhões de horas de visualização – lançou a EbonyLife ON Plus em novembro do ano passado. Trata-se de uma plataforma de subscrição concebida para manter o valor da narração de histórias africanas no continente. A plataforma é nova, mas a estratégia não: é necessário possuir a infraestrutura, ou outra pessoa irá estabelecer os termos.

Três países. Três setores criativos. É necessário encontrar o ponto da cadeia onde o valor é capturado. Detê-lo.

Detido, mas exposto

Os conteúdos gerados por IA intensificaram a pressão. Os modelos da GenAI são treinados, em grande parte, com base em resultados criativos pelos quais não pagam. A questão de saber se esses resultados contam como um contributo compensável está agora a ser testada em tribunais e câmaras de decisão política. Nas economias criativas africanas, onde o volume de material visual, narrativo e cultural é vasto e a infraestrutura formal de PI é desigual, a exposição é significativa. A produção criativa das mulheres está a alimentar sistemas que não lhes pertencem.

A questão da IA e a questão das infraestruturas não estão separadas. Uma delas está a decorrer nos tribunais. A outra está a acontecer nos mercados.

Controlo da narrativa

Atingir os mercados certos requer um tipo diferente de propriedade. África não é um mercado único. São 54 países distintos, cada um com o seu próprio panorama mediático, línguas, culturas e decisores. Muitos parceiros de comunicação oferecem visibilidade, mas não conhecem as nuances de cada mercado. Não estão presentes no terreno, por isso oferecem aproximações, que implicam custos enquanto a narrativa se dilui.

A mesma lógica que levou Bousso a manter os seus algoritmos proprietários, que levou Mashigo e Nyamakop a construir um jogo tão exato, que levou Abudu a construir as suas próprias plataformas em vez de as licenciar – também se aplica aqui. Quem conta a história, em que mercados, em que língua e através de que canais: é aqui que o controlo narrativo se mantém ou se perde. Para que as marcas cheguem a toda a África, as comunicações das marcas têm de ser africanas.

O que acontece a seguir?  

O Dia Internacional da Mulher irá gerar milhares de mensagens neste mês de março. Vale a pena ver o que acontece nos dias que se seguem – se as mulheres que estão a criar propriedade nas indústrias criativas africanas controlam mais o seu trabalho, a sua distribuição e a sua narrativa do que no ano anterior. Esta é a única medida que importa.

Distribuído pelo Grupo APO para APO Group Insights.

Contacto para a comunicação social:
marie@apo-opa.com 

Sobre o APO Group: 
Fundado em 2007 por Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, o APO Group é uma consultora de comunicação que tem em mente o desempenho – combinando aconselhamento estratégico, execução no terreno e visibilidade garantida em todos os mercados africanos.

Reconhecido com múltiplos prémios internacionais, incluindo as distinções SABRE, Davos Communications e World Business Outlook, o APO Group estabelece parcerias com organizações globais e africanas para fornecer comunicações que funcionam – através da estratégia, execução e visibilidade mensurável.

As funções consultivas do nosso fundador junto de instituições internacionais reforçam o acesso do APO Group aos decisores e reforçam o nosso papel como a consultora de comunicação mais conectada do continente. Os seus clientes incluem a Canon, a Emirates, a Nestlé, a NFL, a Liquid Intelligent Technologies, o Afreximbank, o Grupo do Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento, a GITEX Global e o Programa das Nações Unidas para o Desenvolvimento (PNUD).

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Dans les économies créatives africaines, les femmes revendiquent la propriété (Par Libby Allen)

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

Par Libby Allen, Vice-Présidente : Marque et Création, APO Group (https://APO-opa.com).

Chaque mois de mars, la Journée Internationale de la Femme remplit le calendrier de campagnes, de fleurs et d’annonces soigneusement planifiées. Cette journée a un véritable poids historique : elle est née des revendications du début du XXe siècle en faveur du droit de travailler, de voter et de s’organiser. La question qu’elle pose rarement est celle qui mérite d’être posée aujourd’hui : qui contrôle ce qu’elles ont construit ?

Dans les industries créatives africaines en 2026, cette question a des réponses instructives. Elles sont économiques et non symboliques. Et elles sont écrites par des femmes.

L’argument de la propriété

Au Sénégal, Diarra Bousso a grandi dans une famille où l’art et le style étaient un langage du quotidien. Elle a étudié les mathématiques et travaillé à Wall Street avant de revenir à Dakar avec un modèle pour une marque de mode et de style de vie, et la conviction que rien n’est fait tant que quelqu’un ne l’a pas demandé.

DIARRABLU, la marque qu’elle a créée sur le toit-terrasse de ses parents, utilise des algorithmes propriétaires pour générer des designs, les soumet à un vote de la communauté avant qu’un seul vêtement ne soit coupé et produit entièrement à la demande, ce qui permet de réduire de 60% les déchets et les stocks excédentaires. Sa chaîne d’approvisionnement est presque entièrement composée d’artisans sénégalais. La PI (algorithmes, méthodologie, système de conception) est entièrement sienne. La valeur est dans le processus de Bousso, et elle en est la propriétaire.

En Afrique du Sud, le studio de jeux Nyamakop a passé des années à construire quelque chose de difficile à copier. Sorti le mois dernier, Relooted est un jeu de braquages se déroulant dans un Johannesburg futuriste dans lequel le joueur récupère 70 véritables artefacts africains provenant de musées occidentaux et de collections privées. Le jeu a été conçu par des talents venus de plus de dix pays africains. Mohale Mashigo, sa Directrice Narrative, est une romancière et autrice de bandes dessinées qui a également travaillé pour Marvel et DC et qui aborde le thème de la propriété avec une grande précision. Chaque artefact du jeu correspond à un objet réel, avec une histoire documentée et un propriétaire désigné.

Cette spécificité ne se limite pas à la rigueur artistique. Le monde de Relooted est construit de sorte qu’il ne peut pas être détaché de son propre contexte et réutilisé ailleurs. La culture voyage différemment lorsqu’elle est auto-écrite.

Au Nigeria, Mo Abudu applique la même logique à la distribution. EbonyLife Media, la maison de production et le réseau de télévision qu’elle a fondé en 2012, dont les films et les séries ont généré des millions d’heures de visionnage, a lancé EbonyLife ON Plus en novembre de l’année dernière. Il s’agit d’une plateforme par abonnement conçue pour conserver la valeur de la narration africaine sur le continent. La plateforme est nouvelle ; la stratégie ne l’est pas : il faut détenir l’infrastructure, sinon quelqu’un d’autre fixera les conditions.

Trois pays, trois secteurs créatifs. L’important est de savoir là où la valeur est capturée. Et de la posséder.

La propriété doit aller de pair avec l’exposition

Le contenu généré par l’IA a intensifié la pression. Les modèles d’IA générative sont formés, en grande partie, à partir d’une production créative qui ne reçoit aucune rémunération en retour – et la question de savoir si cette production compte comme un intrant rémunérable est actuellement examinée devant les tribunaux. Dans les économies créatives africaines, où le volume de contenu visuel, narratif et culturel est vaste et l’infrastructure formelle de propriété intellectuelle déséquilibrée, l’exposition est importante. La production créative des femmes alimente des systèmes qu’elles ne possèdent pas.

Les questions de l’IA et de l’infrastructure ne sont pas séparées. L’une se joue devant les tribunaux. L’autre sur les marchés.

Contrôle narratif

Atteindre les bons marchés nécessite un autre type de propriété. L’Afrique n’est pas un marché unique, mais se compose de 54 pays distincts, chacun avec son paysage médiatique, ses langues, ses cultures et ses décideurs. De nombreux partenaires de communication offrent de la visibilité mais ne connaissent pas les nuances de chaque marché ; comme ils ne sont pas présents sur le terrain, ils souffrent d’approximation, ce qui a un impact négatif et dilue le récit.

La logique qui a poussé Bousso à conserver la propriété de ses algorithmes, Mashigo et Nyamakop à créer un jeu et Abudu à construire ses propres plateformes plutôt qu’à octroyer des licences – c’est la même logique qui s’applique ici. Qui raconte le récit, dans quels marchés, en quelle langue, par quels canaux ? C’est là que le contrôle narratif est détenu ou perdu. Pour que les marques aient un écho en Afrique, les communications doivent être africaines.

Quelle est la prochaine étape ?  

La Journée Internationale de la Femme générera des milliers de publications en mars. Il sera intéressant de voir ce qui se passera dans les jours suivants et de savoir si les femmes qui s’approprient les industries créatives africaines contrôleront plus leurs travaux, leur distribution et leur récit que l’année précédente. C’est le seul indicateur qui compte.

Distribué par APO Group pour APO Group Insights.

Contact avec les médias :
marie@apo-opa.com  

À propos d’APO Group : 
Créé en 2007 par Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, APO Group est le cabinet de conseil en communication pensé pour la performance et alliant conseil stratégique, exécution de terrain et visibilité garantie sur tous les marchés africains.

Reconnu par de nombreuses distinctions internationales, notamment les prix SABRE, Davos Communications et World Business Outlook, APO Group s’associe à des organisations mondiales et africaines pour fournir des communications performantes, grâce à la stratégie, à l’exécution et à une visibilité mesurable.

Les fonctions consultatives de notre fondateur auprès d’institutions internationales élargissent l’accès d’APO Group aux décideurs et renforcent notre rôle de cabinet de conseil en communication le plus connecté du continent. Parmi nos clients figurent Canon, Emirates, Nestlé, la NFL, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Afreximbank, le Groupe de la Banque Africaine de Développement, GITEX Global, et le Programme des Nations Unies pour le développement (PNUD).

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Equatorial Guinea to Showcase 2026 Licensing Round to Global Investors at Invest in African Energy (IAE)

Source: APO


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Reflecting a renewed drive for growth and upstream revitalization, Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, Antonio Oburu Ondo, will deliver a keynote address at the Invest in African Energy Forum, scheduled for April 22–23, 2026, in Paris. Designed to connect African energy opportunities with institutional and private capital, the forum provides a strategic platform for governments to present bankable projects directly to global investors.

At the center of Equatorial Guinea’s investor outreach is EG Ronda 2026, an upcoming licensing round expected to offer 24 upstream blocks across offshore and onshore basins. First announced at African Energy Week, the round will run through late 2026 and features updated fiscal terms and a competitive open-door framework aimed at attracting both majors and independents. In preparation, the Ministry has advanced seismic data acquisition and reprocessing programs, strengthening the technical dataset available to bidders and materially reducing exploration risk.

Equatorial Guinea’s strategy extends beyond licensing. In early 2026, the government signed a reconnaissance license agreement with Eni to support renewed upstream evaluation and field revitalization efforts. At the same time, cross-border collaboration on the Yoyo-Yolanda gas fields continues to advance, with a recent unitization agreement between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon paving the way for joint development. The move reinforces the country’s ambition to deepen regional integration, optimize shared resources and accelerate monetization through coordinated infrastructure planning.

Project-level momentum further supports this positioning. The Aseng Gas Project, backed by Chevron, represents an estimated $690 million investment aligned with Equatorial Guinea’s flagship Gas Mega Hub initiative – a multi-phase strategy to strengthen domestic processing capacity and position the country as a regional gas hub. National oil company GEPetrol recently increased its stake in Aseng to more than 32%, signaling deeper national participation alongside international operators and a clearer pathway to execution.

For capital providers focused on the Gulf of Guinea and broader African energy markets, Minister Ondo’s address in Paris will provide direct insight into fiscal reforms, licensing mechanics, partnership models and infrastructure expansion plans through 2026 and beyond. As global capital becomes more selective, IAE 2026 offers a critical space for engagement, due diligence and deal origination – helping convert announced opportunities into executed transactions.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

About Invest in African Energy: 
IAE 2026 (https://apo-opa.co/4b9Eang) is an exclusive forum designed to connect African energy markets with global investors, serving as a key platform for deal-making in the lead-up to African Energy Week. Scheduled for April 22–23, 2026, in Paris, the event will provide delegates with two days of in-depth engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or register as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com

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In Africa’s Creative Economies, Women Are Claiming Ownership (By Libby Allen)

Source: APO

By Libby Allen, Vice President: Brand & Creative, APO Group (https://APO-opa.com).

Each March, International Women’s Day fills the calendar with campaigns, flowers, and carefully timed announcements. The day has real historical weight – born from early twentieth century demands for the right to work, vote, and organise. The question it rarely reaches is the one worth asking: not who is being celebrated, but who controls what they have built.

In African creative industries in 2026, that question has instructive answers. They’re economic, not symbolic. And they’re being written by women.

The ownership argument

In Senegal, Diarra Bousso grew up in a home where art and style were a daily language. She went on to study mathematics, worked on Wall Street, and came back to Dakar with a model for a fashion and lifestyle brand: nothing gets made until someone has asked for it.

DIARRABLU, the brand she built from her parents’ rooftop, uses proprietary mathematical algorithms to generate designs, puts them to a community vote before a single garment is cut, and produces entirely on demand – achieving a 60% reduction in waste, and cutting excess stock. Her supply chain is almost entirely Senegalese artisans. The IP – the algorithms, the methodology, the design system – is entirely hers. The value is in Bousso’s process, and the process is owned.

In South Africa, game studio Nyamakop spent years building something hard to copy. Relooted, released last month, is a heist adventure set in a futuristic Johannesburg in which the player recovers 70 real African artefacts from Western museums and private collections. The game was built by a team drawn from more than ten African countries. Mohale Mashigo – its narrative director, a novelist, and comic book writer who has also worked for Marvel and DC – is precise about ownership. Every artefact in the game maps to a real object with a documented history belonging to a named people.

That specificity isn’t just artistic rigour. The world of Relooted is built so it can’t be detached from its own context and repurposed elsewhere. Culture travels differently when it’s self-authored.

In Nigeria, Mo Abudu applies the same logic to distribution. EbonyLife Media – the production house and TV network she founded in 2012, whose films and series have drawn millions of viewing hours – launched EbonyLife ON Plus in November last year. It’s a membership-based platform designed to keep the value of African storytelling on the continent. The platform is new; the strategy is not: own the infrastructure, or someone else sets the terms.

Three countries. Three creative sectors. Find the point in the chain where value is captured. Own it.

Owned but exposed

AI-generated content has intensified the pressure. GenAI models are trained, in large part, on creative output they don’t pay for – and whether that output counts as a compensable input is now being tested in courtrooms and policy chambers. In African creative economies, where the volume of visual, narrative, and cultural material is vast and formal IP infrastructure is uneven, exposure is significant. Women’s creative output is feeding systems they don’t own.

The AI question and the infrastructure question aren’t separate. One is playing out in courtrooms. The other is playing out in markets.

Narrative control

Reaching the right markets requires a different kind of ownership. Africa isn’t a single market. It is 54 distinct countries, each with its own media landscape, languages, cultures, and decision-makers. Many communications partners offer visibility but don’t know the nuances of each market; they’re not present on the ground – so they offer approximation, which costs while the narrative is diluted.

The same logic that drives Bousso to keep her algorithms proprietary, that drove Mashigo and Nyamakop to build a game precisely, that led Abudu to build her own platforms rather than license outward – it applies here too. Who tells the story, in which markets, in whose language, through which channels: this is where narrative control is either held or lost. For brands to reach across Africa, brand communications must be African.

What happens next?  

International Women’s Day will generate thousands of posts this March. It’s worth watching what happens in the days after – whether the women building ownership across African creative industries control more of their work, their distribution, and their narrative than they did the year before. That is the only measure that matters.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of APO Group Insights.

About APO Group: 
Founded in 2007 by Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, APO Group is the communications consultancy built for performance – combining strategic advisory, on-the-ground execution, and guaranteed visibility across every African market.

Recognised with multiple international awards, including SABRE, Davos Communications, and World Business Outlook distinctions, APO Group partners with global and African organisations to deliver communications that perform – through strategy, execution, and measurable visibility.

Our founder’s advisory roles with international institutions strengthen APO Group’s access to decision-makers and reinforce our role as the continent’s most connected communications consultancy. Clients include Canon, Emirates, Nestlé, NFL, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Afreximbank, the African Development Bank Group, GITEX Global, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

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Bronkhorstspruit gets water relief as government intervention delivers new borehole

Source: Government of South Africa

Bronkhorstspruit gets water relief as government intervention delivers new borehole

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina will this morning officiate the handover of a newly completed borehole in Bronkhorstspruit, Tshwane, as part of government’s interventions to increase water supply to the area.

The handover will take place at the Indlu Yokuthula Service Center in Sokhulumi, Bronkhorstspruit, under the Department of Water and Sanitation’s International Women’s Day 2026 Ministerial Engagement and the Water Month Flagship Programme.

“The intervention is part of government’s ongoing commitment to expanding reliable access to water and advancing women’s empowerment through sustainable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives.

“This milestone not only improves local water access but also serves as a strategic platform to mobilise support for the Sector Wide Women in Water Programmatic Approach 2026 – 2030.

“The framework aims to strengthen gender mainstreaming across the water and sanitation sector, while advancing women’s leadership, skills development, entrepreneurship and economic participation,” the department said.

According to the department, the ministerial engagement will convene women leaders across the water sector, water boards and entities, business leaders, private sector partners, non-governmental organisations, civil society, rural women representatives, and educational institutions.

Stakeholders are expected to pledge their commitment to accelerating opportunities for women and building a more inclusive and equitable water industry.

Delivering the State of the Nation Address last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa elevated water to one of the country’s most pressing concerns, from large cities such as Johannesburg, to smaller towns like Knysna and rural areas such as Giyani.

The President announced the establishment of a National Water Crisis Committee, which he will personally chair. This as government intensifies efforts to confront South Africa’s deepening water challenges.

“We have all seen the pain that our people have been expressing through demonstrations in various parts of Gauteng. These protests have been fuelled by frustrations over inadequate and unreliable access to basic services such as water,” President Ramaphosa said at that time.

The President explained that the National Water Crisis Committee will ensure that action is taken swiftly to address these challenges and strengthen coordination across all spheres of government.

“This structure will bring together all existing efforts into a single coordinating body. It will deploy technical experts and resources from national government to municipalities facing water challenges. It will ensure that action is taken swiftly and effectively to address the problem,” he said. 

March is a month of landmark observances, including National Water Month, International Women’s Day, and Human Rights Day. International Women’s Day is commemorated globally on 8 March, drawing attention to gender equality and the empowerment of women, with a strong link to water issues. 

Meanwhile, National Water Month highlights progress in delivering water as a constitutional human right in South Africa, while acknowledging persistent challenges of water scarcity.

The programme also aligns to this year’s United Nations’s World Water Day theme — ‘Water and Gender’, with the slogan: ‘Where Water Flows, Equality Grows’, which implore governments worldwide to centre women and girls in water solutions, ensuring their voices, leadership, and agency are fully recognised in water decision-making. 

The theme also highlights a transformative, rights-based approach to solving the water challenges. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin

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SA agriculture posts record exports, despite global headwinds

Source: Government of South Africa

SA agriculture posts record exports, despite global headwinds

South Africa’s agricultural sector has delivered a record export performance in the fourth quarter of 2025, underscoring its resilience and global competitiveness, despite significant headwinds in the global trading environment.

According to Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, the country’s total exports reached a record R581.5 billion by the end of the fourth quarter, with agriculture contributing R268.7 billion, the highest performance since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agricultural exports grew 9% year-on-year, compared with the R243.7 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The performance was achieved despite a number of challenges, including a strengthening rand, tighter regulatory measures in some export markets, and the impact of 30% “Liberation Day” tariffs by the United States.

Steenhuisen said the figures highlight a sector that is increasingly strategic in how it approaches global markets.

“While agricultural exports to the United States declined sharply by 36% in the fourth quarter of 2025 as a direct result of higher tariffs, our diversification strategy has clearly borne fruit. Strong growth to BRICS+ countries, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and SADC [Southern African Development Community] more than offset those losses,” the Minister said in a statement on Thursday.

Diversified export markets

Africa remains South Africa’s largest agricultural export destination, accounting for about 53% of exports, followed by Asia and the Middle East at 17%, the European Union at 16%, and 14% to the rest of the world, including North and South America.

Among the fastest-growing markets in 2025 were the United Kingdom, with export growth of 21%, and BRICS+ countries, which recorded a 31% increase.

Exports to the European Union grew by 9%, while trade within SADC increased by 8%.

The sector also recorded a stronger agricultural trade surplus of R24.6 billion in the fourth quarter, up from about R20 billion in 2024, underscoring agriculture’s contribution to South Africa’s balance of payments.

Steenhuisen attributed this achievement to government support for export-oriented horticulture, which has demanded the opening of new markets, rapid deployment of precision-agriculture tools, and expanded value chain finance, rather than pure acreage growth.

“Our sector has also embraced modernisation, which is continuing to bear fruit. The adoption of new farming methods has led to commercial farms raising yield per hectare by embracing satellite-guided fertilisation, drone-based pest scouting, and soil moisture sensors embedded in variable-rate irrigation rigs, reducing water utilisation by 18% to 25%,” the Minister said.

Investment in irrigation and infrastructure

Government policy support, through the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP), has also helped to unlock R1.2 billion in investment from public and private financial institutions for irrigation upgrades and packhouse expansion.

The investments have contributed to a 15% reduction in post-harvest losses since 2024.

Steenhuisen said the agricultural sector continues to play a critical role in the country’s economy, both as a generator of foreign exchange and a driver of employment.

Primary agriculture contributes about 2.8% to South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP), while the broader agricultural value chain accounts for about 14% of the country’s R7.34 trillion GDP, based on 2024 figures. The sector also supports roughly 950 000 jobs.

Key export products

South Africa’s strongest-performing agricultural exports in 2025 included table grapes, maize, berries, wine, citrus, apples and pears, sugar, nuts, fruit juices and wool.

Stone fruits, such as apricots, cherries and peaches, also featured prominently amongst the export products.

Fruits and nuts alone accounted for about 26% of total agricultural exports during the fourth quarter.

Steenhuisen said the strong export performance provides a platform for expanding market access and strengthening trade partnerships.

“Good progress has recently been made in expanding international market access for South African agricultural products. This includes newly secured market access for South African stone fruit into China, as well as the first shipment of South African table grapes to the Philippines, which is currently en route,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

GabiK

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Steenhuisen refutes claims of government profiting from FMD vaccines

Source: Government of South Africa

Steenhuisen refutes claims of government profiting from FMD vaccines

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has dismissed claims that government is “making a profit” from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines, saying that the State is procuring and administering the vaccines at no cost to farmers.

“No farmer is paying for these vaccines, and government is certainly not selling them,” Steenhuisen said.

The Minister confirmed that the South African Government will cover the full cost of vaccinating the national herd as part of the country’s response to recent FMD outbreaks.

“This means there will be no cost to farmers for vaccines administered as part of the national response to the FMD outbreaks,” he said.

In a statement on Thursday, Steenhuisen said vaccines have already been distributed to all provinces, with the national vaccination programme well underway.

READ | Minister launches mass FMD vaccination campaign

According to the department, hundreds of thousands of animals are being vaccinated each week, as the country works towards a target of vaccinating 80% of the national herd by December.

South Africa has so far received one million vaccine doses from Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina and 1.5 million doses from Dollvet in Türkiye, with additional consignments expected to arrive in the coming weeks to sustain the vaccination campaign.

Steenhuisen commended the veterinary professionals and industry partners assisting with the rollout, saying that their efforts are critical to protecting the country’s livestock sector and stabilising the agricultural economy.

“We would like to thank the State and private veterinarians, who are on the frontline of the vaccination campaign, as well as industry organisations, particularly the Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO), for their cooperation and support in helping to protect South Africa’s livestock sector,” he said.

As FMD remains a serious threat to the agricultural economy, the Minister called on stakeholders to exercise caution regarding misinformation circulating on social media and other platforms.

“FMD is everyone’s responsibility. It is critical that farmers and stakeholders verify information before sharing it. Misinformation during a biosecurity crisis can cause real damage to the sector,” he said.

Vaccine costs

The Minister also moved to set the record straight on vaccine costs.

This follows recent rumours spread by a certain agriculture lobby group, which has attempted to misrepresent the cost of the Dollvet vaccines being procured by government.

Steenhuisen said these claims focus on R45, which is the single quoted bulk supply price per dose, without recognising the broader logistical and operational requirements involved in a national vaccination programme of this scale.

According to the Minister, most agricultural organisations understand and appreciate this reality.

“The price that has been circulated publicly relates to the supplier’s bulk delivery price to an approved cold-storage facility in South Africa. In other words, it reflects the cost of producing the vaccine and transporting it internationally under cold-chain conditions to a designated facility within the country.

“However, the R45 price does not represent the full cost of getting a vaccine from that point into the national veterinary system and ultimately to farms across South Africa – a reality that would be no different if, as claimed, ‘private companies’ were responsible for importing and distributing it,” the Minister explained

Once vaccines arrive in the country, he said, they must still be received, quality-checked, stored under strict temperature control, managed through national inventory systems, and distributed through a network of provincial depots and veterinary teams.

“This includes maintaining the cold-chain, managing secure storage facilities, handling inventory management, and coordinating distribution to vaccination teams operating across multiple provinces.

“These are essential components of any large-scale animal health intervention. Without them, vaccines cannot be delivered safely or remain effective when they reach livestock in the field,” the Minister said.

He said government’s procurement cost reflects the full operational process required to move vaccines through the national veterinary distribution system, ensuring that doses are delivered safely and reliably to veterinarians administering the vaccination campaign.

The Minister also assured that government has enough resources to fund the vaccination programme.

“…The Department of Agriculture has allocated funding specifically for the procurement of vaccines and will continue to ensure that sufficient doses are available to sustain the vaccination campaign,” the Minister assured. – SAnews.gov.za

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Anti-corruption forum launched to safeguard South Africa’s water sector

Source: Government of South Africa

Anti-corruption forum launched to safeguard South Africa’s water sector

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) have launched the Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum (WSACF) aimed at strengthening the fight against corruption and safeguarding the country’s water resources.

The establishment of the forum follows findings from 16 SIU proclamations related to the DWS. Of these, nine investigations have been completed, while seven remain active, highlighting what authorities say is an urgent need for a coordinated anti-corruption response in water management.

The WSACF is anchored on Pillar Six of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), which focuses on protecting vulnerable sectors and strengthening integrity systems. Through a risk-based approach, the forum will support investigations, prevention, and enforcement measures designed to protect South Africa’s water resources from corruption and mismanagement.

The initiative also aligns with the goals of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030, which prioritises water security and sustainable development, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of clean water and sanitation for all.

The forum aligns with what the NACS terms as a whole-of-society approach, which seeks to enhance and mobilise the inclusive participation of the public sector, private sector, civil society and academia to prevent and combat corruption.

Key objectives 

The WSACF will focus on several key objectives, including supporting anti-corruption initiatives in the water sector, foster collaboration among stakeholders to combat corruption effectively, coordinate law enforcement efforts to enhance investigative capacity, and enhance investigative capacity.

It also aims to deliver tangible outcomes, including prosecutions, civil recoveries, and administrative actions against wrongdoing, while implementing preventative measures to mitigate fraud and corruption risks.

In addition, the forum seeks to promote accountability within anti-corruption agencies through multi-stakeholder oversight.

Coalition of stakeholders

The forum brings together a broad coalition of stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, Chapter 9 institutions, civil society organisations, private sector representatives, government departments, and municipalities.

Other stakeholders include regulators, organised labour, traditional and religious leaders, and environmental and water conservation groups.

The SIU and DWS said this collaborative model strengthens accountability, closes gaps, and implements measurable and actionable prevention plans.

Importantly, the forum will also hold anti-corruption agencies accountable, ensuring transparency and effectiveness in their operations.

Building on existing anti-corruption efforts

The WSACF builds on the success of several sector-specific anti-corruption fora in recent years.

These include the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum, launched in October 2019; the Infrastructure and Built Environment Anti-Corruption Forum, launched in May 2021; the Local Government Anti-Corruption Forum, launched in September 2022, and the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum, launched in March 2025.

Acting Head of the SIU and chairperson of the WSACF, Leonard Lekgetho, said the forum comes at a critical time, as parts of the country continue to face water shortages.

“Water affects every living being, making it imperative for us to make fighting corruption in the sector a collective effort. The launch of the Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum is a decisive step in protecting one of our nation’s most precious resources. Water is life, and corruption in this sector threatens not only service delivery but also the dignity and well-being of our people,” Lekgetho said.

He said the initiative sends a strong message that corruption in the water sector will not be tolerated.

“Through this forum, we are sending a clear message: corruption will not be tolerated, and those who undermine the integrity of our water systems will face the full might of the law.”

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina emphasised the importance of being proactive and strengthening anti-corruption efforts in the water sector.

“When corruption infiltrates the water sector, it does not simply distort procurement processes or inflate invoices. It dries up taps, delays infrastructure, contaminates rivers and erodes public trust.

“In a water-scarce country such as South Africa, corruption is not a victimless crime. It is a direct assault on human dignity and development. Every rand lost to corruption is a rand not spent on fixing leaks, expanding supply schemes, or protecting our freshwater ecosystems,” Majodina said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Minister of State for International Cooperation Receives Phone Call from Canadian Secretary of State for International Development

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha, March 5, 2026

HE Minister of State for International Cooperation Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad received Thursday a phone call from HE Secretary of State for International Development of Canada Randeep Sarai.

During the call, they discussed the developments of the military escalation in the region and its serious repercussions on security and stability regionally and internationally, and ways to resolve all disputes through peaceful means, and discussed enhancing cooperation in the humanitarian and development fields in the Gaza Strip.

HE the Minister of State for International Cooperation stressed during the call the need for an immediate halt to any escalatory actions, a return to the table of dialogue, prioritizing the language of reason and wisdom, and working to contain the tension in a way that preserves the security of the region.

For his part, HE the Canadian Minister of State for International Development expressed his country’s solidarity with the State of Qatar, stressing the importance of prioritizing diplomatic and peaceful solutions over military solutions.