South Africa’s slow-motion momentum towards a financial train crash has begun to speed up. Recent weeks have seen strong warning signals from the rating agencies.

"The private sector must forget about joining hands with a bankrupt government that has failed economically and unable to restore the country's infrastructure," said Fanie Brink, an independent agricultural economist.

National Treasury is reportedly proposing a host of extreme measures to get national departments and other spheres of government to cut spending as the country’s coffers have run dry.

n the outskirts of the northern Spanish city of Pamplona, a green, red and blue stream of New Holland, John Deere, Massey Ferguson, Fendt and Deutz-Fahr tractors trundled forwards, horns honking and orange lights flashing.

As the dust settles following the outcome of the May 29 elections and the seventh administration begins its term, the next step will be realigning policy ideas under the Government of National Unity. With respect to agriculture, the major political parties in the Government of National Unity, namely the African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), appear to be broadly aligned in our assessment.

Johann Kotzé of Agri SA shares his thoughts on the South African agricultural landscape and the road ahead. 

South African farmers face a complex and uncertain future shaped by a combination of environmental, political, economic, and social challenges.

On Sunday, 27 April, the Vaal Dam surged to 121.53% – the highest level it’s been this year – fuelled by heavy rainfall across the Upper Vaal catchment and inflows from upstream dams like Grootdraai and Sterkfontein.

It has been more than four decades since South Africa entered a new era of so-called democracy, but in 2025, the reality on the ground is a painful, heartbreaking contrast to the dreams of unity, prosperity, and dignity that once filled the air.