Recasting the Jobs Debate in South Africa’s Agricultural Sector

It is against this background that the agricultural industry has been one of the key sectors that could provide much needed jobs. There are some specific reasons why agriculture is perceived to be a major creator of jobs. First, the sector has grown tremendously over the past two decades, more than doubling in both output and value. Second, the sector has been seen to possess untapped growth potential that can further spur its expansion, mainly through land redistribution and utilization of marginal land. Third, the sector is largely seen as a “low-hanging fruit” given its potential capacity to absorb unskilled or semi-skilled and thereby providing opportunities for the otherwise less educated and marginalized economically active persons.