Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has expressed optimism following the release of the latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures from Statistics South Africa, which highlight the agricultural sector as a key driver of economic resilience. According to the most recent data, South Africa's GDP rose by 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, contributing to an annual growth rate of 1.1%. This growth comes amid challenges faced by other traditional sectors such as mining, which saw a 0.6% contraction due to declines in coal and platinum group metals. Meanwhile, the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector excelled, recording a remarkable growth of 17.4% compared to the previous year.

The significant performance of the agricultural sector can be attributed to strong gains in field crops and horticulture, which collectively supported a 0.4% increase in the primary sector during the fourth quarter. This upward trend presents agriculture as a