Welcome
As the saying goes, “we live in interesting times” and 2026 may well be the most interesting to date. We seem to be transitioning from an age of multilateralism and a rules-based trading system towards an era where global powers compete to exert their influence. This poses a risk for smaller, open economies such as South Africa and the companies that operate here.
Market access, tariffs, energy prices and inputs can all be affected and likewise have a huge impact on businesses within the agricultural value chain. Whilst we navigate these waters as a country, the only clear and certain way to buffer ourselves against global shocks is to improve competitiveness of our business sector.
We need an efficient logistics sector, improved service delivery, an enabling regulatory environment and biosecurity, amongst others. These are challenges that no single organisation or sector in the economy can address by itself. It is for this reason that the theme of our 2026 Congress is “Embracing Collaboration”. Throughout the two days, we invite you to join us as we gain insights from independent experts, reflect on the progress made in the past two year and seek collaborative solutions to the challenges faced by the agricultural value chain.
