Business
Farmer's Weekly
How AFGRI uses technology to unlock farm finance from asset to market
As modern farming becomes more capital-intensive and digitally driven, AFGRI is reinventing agricultural finance by linking technology directly to lending decisions.
5 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Adele's Mohair: a living tapestry of craft, colour and rural heritage
Octavia Avesca Spandiel spoke to Adele Cutten, founder of Adele's Mohair, to explore how a small spinning experiment grew into a thriving rural craft enterprise rooted in South Africa's rich mohair heritage.
6 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Cannabis and marketing in South Africa
The path from cultivation to commercial success remains complicated by regulatory ambiguity. Cultivators who master compliant marketing while delivering verifiable quality will build sustainable businesses, says Thomas Walker.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Foot-and-mouth disease project targets waste reduction and regulatory reform
A groundbreaking research collaboration between Red Meat Industry Services, the University of Pretoria, and global animal health leader Zoetis is aiming to transform South Africa's approach to foot-and-mouth disease.
3 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
What to expect in 2026
The world faces a complex interplay of economic, geopolitical, environmental, technological, and social pressures.
3 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
How drones are revolutionising pest and disease detection in agriculture
Drones are reshaping modern crop protection by giving farmers a powerful new vantage point: the sky. With advanced sensors, high-resolution imaging, and artificial intelligence-driven analytics, these unmanned aerial vehicles can detect early signs of disease, water stress, and pest damage long before the human eye can. Jedrie Harmse spoke to agricultural drone specialist Monique Heydenrych.
7 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Generic advertising in perspective
Dr Koos Coetzee explains how industry organisations and the agriculture sector actually have the ability to prudently manage the negative perceptions surrounding generic advertising campaigns.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
The modern Merino: the benchmark breed
The Merino breed has transformed dramatically over the past seven decades-from the skin-folded wool specialists of the 1950s to today's plain-bodied, fertile, well-balanced sheep prized for their dual-purpose productivity. Yet, despite its versatility, myths persist. Willie van Heerden, manager at Merino South Africa, dispels some of these myths.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute celebrates excellence
The Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute marked a major milestone in December 2025, conferring over 200 agricultural qualifications, including bachelor's degrees and various national certificates.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Grain SA issues guidelines as poor-quality agri inputs threaten farmers livelihoods
Grain SA has urged South African grain and oilseed farmers to act fast when seeds, fertilisers, or agrochemicals underperform, providing clear guidelines to protect crops.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Vegetable price trends as we enter the new year
This analysis by Zama Sangweni explores how five key vegetable commodities, cabbages, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes, performed, considering recent supply volumes and consumer demand patterns.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Using data and technology to breed a climate-ready Merino
High on the shoulders of the Sneeuberg mountains near Cradock, the Jordaan family has shaped a Merino that survives where seasons no longer follow rules. They are building resilience against a future where 'normal' seasons don't exist, merging old-school stockmanship with genomics, nutrition science, and hard-won climate wisdom. Sabrina Dean spoke to Andrew Jordaan Jr.
7 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
University of the Free State's cutting-edge research to save the giraffe from extinction
The University of the Free State has launched a first-of-its-kind giraffe research facility, creating a groundbreaking, low-stress environment where standing procedures, as well as reproductive and physiological research, can be conducted on habituated giraffes. Annelie Coleman reports on the initiative.
5 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Joburg Fresh Produce Market needs a 'refresh'
South Africa's fresh produce markets are vital to food security, supplying up to half of the nation's fruit and vegetables. Protecting and modernising these markets is essential for a resilient, equitable food system writes Marc Wegerif, senior lecturer in Development Studies at the University of Pretoria.
4 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Infrastructure, policy, and finance will be the African continent's growth drivers
Africa's agricultural potential is vast, but inefficiencies in infrastructure, trade policy, and finance limit growth. Investments in transport, cold storage, irrigation, and digital trade systems, among others, are key to unlocking faster, cheaper, and more efficient agricultural trade.
3 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
SAPPO Academy showcases skills development and small business success
The South African Pork Producers' Organisation (SAPPO) Academy, a training organisation that promotes animal, environmental, and public health in the pig industry through knowledge transfer, recently hosted a mini development symposium in Pretoria. The event included an afternoon of meaningful dialogue, strategic learning, and leadership exchange, effectively bridging academic insight with real-world industry innovation.
3 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Backing for SA Canegrowers as sugar imports soar
Coenie Snyman, winemaker and founder of Rock of Eye Wines, was named the 2025 Diners Club Winemaker of the Year for his Rock of Eye Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, while Marnich Aucamp, assistant winemaker at Stellenbosch Vineyards, won the Young Winemaker of the Year award for his Stellenbosch Vineyards Credo Chenin Blanc 2024 at a gala dinner near Kleinmond in the Western Cape.
1 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
New or used? A practical guide to second-hand farm equipment
Second-hand farm machinery can deliver excellent value, if you know what to look for. Western Cape equipment broker Debbie Smit gave Lindi Botha practical advice to help farmers decide when to buy new, when pre-owned is the smarter choice, and how to avoid the costly pitfalls that often catch buyers off-guard.
4 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
The story of the Drakensberger beef cattle breed's evolution in Africa
The Drakensberger cattle breed has been part of the South African landscape for ages. So-called black indigenous cattle existed in South Africa as early as the 15th and 16th centuries and formed the foundation of the current Drakensberger beef cattle breed.
4 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Man vs machine - which works best in SA's farming sector?
South African farmers have embraced both mechanisation and staffing solutions to improve farm level efficiency. Sabrina Dean investigated the pros and cons of both and filed this report.
9 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
SA's poultry industry must be more inclusive and sustainable
In spite of great progress made over the past 30 years in South Africa's poultry value chain, setbacks such as avian influenza and trade restrictions are calling for official intervention
2 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
An introduction to forward contracts and commodity futures for South African farmers
The agriculture sector is notoriously volatile, but producers can find stability using financial derivative tools. This article clearly defines and differentiates between two key instruments: forward contracts and futures contracts.
3 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Less tillage, more life: the machines and techniques behind soil recovery
Soil health is the foundation of global food security, environmental quality, and agricultural sustainability. According to expert Dr Hendrik Smith, reversing the cycle of soil degradation requires the continuous application of regenerative conservation agriculture principles, with no-tillage cultivation being nonnegotiable.
4 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Five Joburg hotels that make business a pleasure
Even with its well-documented problems, Johannesburg remains the centre of business in South Africa. And unlike some cities with their mountains and oceans, you'll get value and quality for a fraction of the price at these hotels. There are also great views in the mix. By .
6 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
The myths and folklore about the origins of rice
In Asia, agricultural folklore and legends are profoundly important, particularly in East and Southeast Asia, because they serve as the cultural, religious, and social foundation of societies built upon the wet-rice economy. Many of the heroes of these myths and legends are still celebrated today.
10+ min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
From fire investigation to Wagyu excellence
When Zelda Greyling first set foot on Frans Stapelberg's farm outside Marble Hall in Limpopo in 2019, Wagyu cattle were the last thing on her mind.
7 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Packhouse technology turns fruit into Forex
With South African fruit exports surging (citrus up over 71% since 2015), the pressure is on packhouses to deliver quality and efficiency. No longer just a mechanical step, the packhouse is now the strategic bottleneck where real value is added - or lost.
6 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Artificial intelligence and technology in 2026
For 2026, Farmer's Weekly will be focusing on the overarching theme of artificial intelligence and technology, and the importance of this in sustainable and long-term farming.
2 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Riding out the dry years with ostriches in the Klein Karoo
After nearly two decades in state-run agriculture, farmer Jolian du Preez walked away from job security to build an ostrich enterprise in one of South Africa's toughest farming regions.
8 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
The invasion of De Hoek
The farm De Hoek in the Barkly East district of the Eastern Cape is home to several exotic fauna and flora species, but as landowner Mike Burgess writes, interaction between two of these species has resulted in a particularly serious management challenge.
2 min |