#NAMPOHARVESTDAY 2026: THE BIGGEST IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH 🌽👨🏽🌾🇿🇦
Standing at #NAMPO Harvest Day 2026 — the largest agricultural show in the Southern Hemisphere — I break down why South African agriculture is one of the most powerful and underrated economic forces on the continent. From a record US$15.1 billion in agricultural exports, to 960,000 farm jobs, a record maize harvest of 16.8 million tonnes, and a brand new zero-tariff trade agreement with China — the numbers are staggering. And this show, where R1–R2 billion in trade passes through a Free State town every May, is where it all comes to life.
We cover the CAEPA China trade deal, the maize export story, winter crop pressures, and what El Niño means for the season ahead — all from the ground at Nampo Park, Bothaville.
📌 Topics covered:
— What #NAMPO2026 Harvest Day actually is and why it matters
— South Africa’s record R15.1 billion agricultural exports in 2025
— The China CAEPA zero-tariff deal that came into effect 1 May 2026
— Zimbabwe as SA’s biggest maize buyer in 2025-26
— Winter crop pressures and the wheat decline
— El Niño risks and what’s ahead for SA agriculture
Research & data: @wandilesihlobo , Chief Economist at Agbiz | Crop Estimates Committee | @grain_sa
PAYSHAP SOUTH AFRICA’s FASTEST GROWING PAYMENT PLATFORM 🇿🇦‼️
South Africa’s PayShap has processed over R403 billion since 2023—but has it reached the people who need it most?
In this video, we unpack the numbers behind South Africa’s rapid payments revolution: the 45 million monthly transactions, the banks charging wildly different fees, and the fundamental tension between financial inclusion and digital exclusion.
We look at what India’s Aadhaar system teaches us about the risks of digital infrastructure, and ask the uncomfortable question: when convenience becomes a condition for participation, who gets left behind?
#payshap #adhaar #picpay #southafrica #payments
ARE SA ENTREPRENEURS READY FOR FUNDING? 🇿🇦👨🏾💻
The hard truth? Most funding rejections aren’t about your idea. They’re about your paperwork.
Only 36.8% of South African SMEs have formal financial statements. Only 24.6% use proper accounting systems. And yet we wonder why the funding doors stay closed.
Before you approach any funder, ask yourself:
→ Are my personal and business finances separated?
→ Do I have clean, up-to-date financials?
→ Can I clearly explain how the money will be used and repaid?
→ Is the loan actually affordable based on my real cash flow?
Preparation isn’t admin. It’s the difference between a yes and a no.
▶️ Watch the full breakdown on YouTube — link in bio
🔗 Learn more about Masisizane Fund — link in bio
#SMESouthAfrica #BusinessFunding #MasisizaneFund
THE SOUTH AFRICAN FUNDING GAP 💰 🇿🇦
Let’s have an honest conversation about funding in South Africa.
We say SMEs are the backbone of the economy. And they are. But only 20–30% of small businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa actually access formal credit. And in South Africa, 70–80% of SMEs fail within five years.
That’s not just a funding problem. That’s a readiness problem. A structural problem. And a conversation we’ve been avoiding for too long.
This video is that conversation.
▶️ Watch the full video on YouTube — link in bio
🔗 Visit the Masisizane Fund website — link in bio
https://www.oldmutual.co.za/business/solutions/masisizane/
#SMEFunding #Entrepreneurship #AccessToFinance #MasisizaneFund
SOUTH AFRICAN BANKS HAVE A PROBLEM ‼️
South Africa’s retail giants are making a calculated move into banking, and the numbers reveal exactly why.
Shoprite now has over 4 million banking customers. Pepkor just received approval to launch its own bank across 2,500 stores. Pick n Pay is seeing 60% year-on-year growth in cash deposits at tills. Old Mutual has invested R4 billion into OM Bank. And Sanlam is entering through a R750 million joint venture with TymeBank.
In this video, we unpack:
→ Why retail margins of 3-5% can’t compete with fintech returns of 17-19%
→ How 31 million Xtra Savings members become a credit bureau in waiting
→ The battle for South Africa’s unbanked and underserved population
→ What this means for Capitec and traditional banks
→ The loyalty lock-in strategy that makes banking the ultimate retail play
Featuring insights on Shoprite’s zero-cost bank account plans, Pepkor’s “plusb” project slated for 2027, OM Bank’s path to breakeven by 2028, and why Swiss Re research shows Capitec capturing 36% of new funeral insurance sales.
The checkout counter is becoming the bank counter. Here’s how it’s happening.
#SouthAfrica #Banking #Retail #Shoprite #Capitec FinTech economy
+1 🎈
To a year that was and a year that will.
To a year of downs and a year of ups.
To the things we lost and those we won.
To the journeys we delayed and those we took.
To the ways we stayed the same and the ways we grew.
To those we met and those we unfollowed.
To the many years behind and the many years ahead.
Camagu. 🙏🏾
Is South Africa’s Constitution too generous? 🇿🇦🤔
why does SA carry the burden for everyone without enforcing the same rules?
Are we taking on more than we can handle? Let’s debate in the comments! 👇
#PalatablePolitics #SouthAfrica #SAConstitution #Zimasa #PoliticsSA
WHAT HAS LESETJA KGANYAGO’S RESERVE BANK DONE ? 🤔
The South African Reserve Bank is quietly engineering three of the most significant monetary policy shifts in a generation — and most South Africans have no idea it’s happening.
In this video, I unpack the Cash Smart Strategy that could bring ATM fees to almost zero, the new 3% inflation target replacing the 25-year-old framework, and the proposed abolition of the prime lending rate that affects R3.2 trillion in contracts.
With R180 billion in cash circulating through an economy where 62% of take-home pay goes to debt repayments, these changes will reshape how ordinary South Africans access money, manage debt, and navigate the cost of living.
From the Geldmaat model being adapted for our cash utility to the fierce debate between monetary hawks and social delivery advocates, this is the financial story that affects every rand in your pocket.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN CHICKEN TAX
Every week, South Africa slaughters 23 million chickens. The country is the second most technically efficient poultry producer in the world. So why does a 2kg bag of frozen chicken cost nearly R101 per kilogram — and why are millions of children going hungry for protein?
In this video essay, we unpack the full story behind the price of chicken in South Africa — from the global production battle between Brazil, the US, and local giants like Astral Foods and Rainbow Chicken, to the tariff wars, anti-dumping duties, and diplomatic trade-offs that quietly inflate every price sticker in the frozen food aisle.
We look at who really controls South Africa’s chicken market, what the numbers say about dumping versus monopoly protection, why the US isn’t even using its own import quota, and why a country that produces world-class chicken still can’t put a single meat product on its zero-rated VAT food list after 25 years.
This is not just a story about chicken…
GOOGLE IS POWERING SOUTH AFRICA’s AI GROWTH 🇿🇦
South Africa’s AI market is worth R50 billion today. By 2030? It could triple. 🚀
Google is building the infrastructure to make sure we capture that opportunity.
🌊 Equiano subsea cable — multiplied network capacity 20x and cut internet costs across the region
☁️ Johannesburg Cloud Region — sovereign, reliable infrastructure for AI solutions aligned with SA’s National Data and Cloud Policy
But technology without skills is just expensive hardware. So Google is investing in people too:
📱 Hustle Academy — 4,600+ small businesses trained in AI, 80% reporting improved productivity
👩🏫 Raspberry Pi partnership — 4,000 teachers trained, reaching 210,000 students across 5 provinces
💰 $2.85 million committed through Google.org to AIMS, CyberSafe Foundation & Junior Achievement Africa
The impact is already real. The MomConnect AI health chatbot fields 60,000 questions monthly from mothers and expecting mothers. Locally built AI solving real problems. 🤰
South Africa has the talent to anchor Africa’s AI economy. Google is making sure it happens. 💡
#Google #AI #DigitalTransformation #SAIC2026 #SouthAfrica
Why Is SA Investment Ready 🇿🇦
Let me give you the facts:
📉 Inflation at 3.2% — lowest in 20 years
📉 Repo rate at 6.75% — easing cycle underway
📈 4 consecutive quarters of GDP growth
✅ 2 consecutive primary budget surpluses
⭐ S&P upgraded us to BB
But it’s not just numbers.
→ InvestSA provides one-stop-shop facilitation
→ SEZs offer 15% corporate tax rate
→ AfCFTA opens 54 African markets
→ AGOA covers 6,500+ product lines to the US
We’re co-hosting SAIC 2026 with the International Finance Corporation.
South Africa isn’t getting ready. We ARE ready. 💼
#SAIC2026 #InvestmentReady #SouthAfrica #AfCFTA #InvestSA EmergingMarkets AfricaGrowth
Where should Investors be putting their money in South Africa? 🇿🇦
Let me break it down 🧵
🏭 SEZs — 13 zones across all 9 provinces. Dube TradePort secured R1.8bn in new investment last year alone.
💻 Digital — Teraco’s R4bn data centre is the largest in Africa.
🌱 Green Hydrogen — Hive Hydrogen’s R105bn project in Coega. Largest solar PV in the Southern Hemisphere.
⚡ Renewables — R200bn+ attracted through REIPPP. Seriti building Africa’s largest wind farm.
⛏️ Mining — Ivanhoe’s Platreef is the world’s largest precious metals mine under development.
🎬 Creative — Netflix has invested R2bn+ since 2016, creating 7,000 jobs.
The opportunities are real. And they’re happening now.
#InvestSA #SAIC2026 #GreenHydrogen #Renewables #Mining SEZ AfricaOpportunity SouthAfrica
