One of South Africa’s leading agricultural economists has urged Botswana and Namibia to come to an agreement with South Africa about food trade rather than ban all vegetable imports.
Wandile Sihlobo said Botswana and Namibia regularly close their borders to South African vegetables. However, a prolonged ban started in December 2021 and has been in place since then.
“The rationale for it, from both Botswana and Namibia’s side, is that it would incentivise domestic production of vegetables in these countries and lower their dependence on South Africa,” he wrote in Daily Maverick.
“Their target products include tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, garlic, onions, ginger and fresh herbs.”
Sihlobo said the South African response should be “sensitive but firm”. South Africa wanted to export food, its neighbours wanted to increase their domestic production and people wanted affordable, accessible and safe food.
“Having hostile neighbours will not benefit any of these countries’ citizens,” he wrote.
“Therefore, Botswana and Namibia could close the market in specific windows to boost domestic production, and communicate clearly about this with South Africa. The South African producers would then fill specific windows when there are gaps in these markets.
“For long-term planning, it would also help if these countries communicate with South Africa the agricultural products they deem of ‘national security’ and want to boost the domestic production of. This would help South Africa better plan its agricultural export drive to other regions and progressively reduce its dependence on its neighbours.”
Sihlobo said South Africa’s neighbours should leverage its technologies and increase regional agricultural production.
“Such an approach is what the Botswanan and Namibian authorities should follow — regional cooperation and shared prosperity in agriculture.”
