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Wandile Sihlobo

Visiting Research Fellow, Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand
Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and the author of "Finding Common Ground: Land, Equity, and Agriculture." He is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Fort Hare and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Stellenbosch University. Sihlobo was appointed as a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Economic Advisory Council in 2019 after serving on the Presidential Expert Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture between 2018 and 2019. He is also a member of the Council of Statistics of South Africa (Stats SA). He is a Commissioner at the International Trade Commission of South Africa (ITAC).

Unlocking China: South Africa's Agricultural Trade Opportunities

Sep 16, 2024 08:36 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

South Africas agricultural sector has more than doubled in value and volume terms since 1994. This success has been linked to international trade. Exports now account for roughly half (in value terms) of the annual...

This is how President Ramaphosa got to the 25% figure of progress in land reform in South Africa

Mar 22, 2024 11:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Law Economy

Nearly three decades into democracy, land reform remains central to South Africas transformation policies and agricultural policy. We have over the years pointed out that the progress on land reform has been incorrectly...

South Africa’s farm exports are an economic lifeline – with weak spots

Sep 20, 2022 06:20 am UTC| Economy

International trade has been at the core of South Africas agricultural progress since the early 2000s. Since 1994, the country has excelled in opening up new markets, as evidenced by several free trade agreements with...

The EU's Green Deal: opportunities, threats and risks for South African agriculture

Oct 31, 2021 23:34 pm UTC| Politics Economy

The European Union among a host of other countries is seeking to implement urgent policy measures to combat the effects of climate change. In its 2030 climate target plan, the EU aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions...

Emerging Market Crisis Series

Small towns are collapsing across South Africa. How it's starting to affect farming

Jun 20, 2021 12:13 pm UTC| Economy

Farming and agribusiness play a crucial role in sustaining the economies of small towns and rural areas. There is a lot of evidence of this in the economic literature and in the popular media. This dependency has its...

Economy

Asian Currencies Hold Steady Amid U.S. Tariff Moves and Strong Singapore, China Data

Asian currencies were mostly flat on Monday after a week of losses, as investors remained cautious amid fresh U.S. tariff threats and mixed signals from global trade data. The U.S. Dollar Index edged up 0.1% during Asian...

China’s June Export Rebound Highlights Fragile U.S. Trade Truce

Chinas exports gained momentum in June, rising 5.8% year-on-year, beating expectations and Mays 4.8% increase, as businesses accelerated shipments ahead of an August 12 tariff truce deadline with the U.S. Imports also...

BOJ May Raise Inflation Forecast Amid Rising Food Prices, Holds Off on Rate Hikes

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is likely to revise its inflation forecast upward for the current fiscal year due to persistent food price increases, especially rice, according to sources familiar with the matter. However, the...

Albanese Urges China Collaboration on Global Steel Overcapacity During Shanghai Visit

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized the need for joint action with China to tackle global steel overcapacity during a high-level meeting with business leaders in Shanghai. Speaking on Monday, Albanese...

Japan’s Core Machinery Orders Beat Forecasts with Annual Growth

Japans core machinery orders dipped 0.6% in May from the previous month, according to data released by the Cabinet Office on Monday. While the month-on-month figure marked a decline, it was better than the 1.5% drop...

Politics

Trump Addresses Epstein Probe Fallout, Backs FBI Deputy Bongino

President Donald Trump said Sunday he had spoken with FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino to address tensions surrounding the Justice Departments handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Speaking to reporters, Trump...

Israeli Airstrikes Kill Children in Gaza as Ceasefire Talks Stall

At least eight Palestinians, including six children, were killed Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on a water collection point in Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza. According to local officials, the victims were gathering...

Trump to Send Patriot Missiles to Ukraine Amid Ongoing Conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he plans to send Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine, signaling continued support for the war-torn nation amid its conflict with Russia. Speaking to reporters at Joint...

Noem Defends FEMA Amid Texas Flood Response Criticism

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended FEMAs response to the devastating Texas floods that killed over 120 people and left 160 missing. In an interview on NBCs Meet the Press, Noem claimed her agency acted within...

Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Dies at 82 in London

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerias former president who served from 2015 to 2023 and was the first to defeat an incumbent through democratic elections, died in London on Sunday at age 82 after a prolonged illness, according to a...

Science

FDA Lifts REMS Requirement for CAR-T Cell Cancer Therapies

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) requirement for all currently approved CAR-T cell therapies, a move expected to improve patient access to these...

Neuren Pharmaceuticals Surges on U.S. Patent Win for Rare Disorder Drug

Shares of Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:NEU) jumped over 10% on Thursday after the company announced a key development in its rare disease pipeline. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has approved Neurens patent...

CDC Vaccine Review Sparks Controversy Over Thimerosal Study Citation

A presentation on thimerosal, a mercury-based vaccine preservative, set to be delivered to the CDCs advisory committee has come under scrutiny for referencing a non-existent study. The report, Thimerosal as a Vaccine...

SpaceX Starship Explodes in Texas During Test, Citing Nitrogen Tank Failure

SpaceXs Starship spacecraft exploded in a dramatic fireball during a late-night test at the companys Starbase facility in Brownsville, Texas, on June 18, 2025. The 400-foot Mars-bound rocket, a key part of Elon Musks...

NASA Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Recover After Boeing Starliner Delay

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are steadily recovering after spending nine unexpected months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with Boeings Starliner capsule. Initially intended...

Technology

Stifel Lowers HubSpot Price Target to $700, Maintains Buy Ahead of Q2 Earnings

Stifel analysts have revised their price target on HubSpot Inc. (NYSE:HUBS), lowering it from $750 to $700, while reiterating a Buy rating ahead of the companys upcoming Q2 earnings report. Despite the reduced target,...

Elon Musk Proposes Tesla Shareholder Vote on xAI Investment

Elon Musk has announced that Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) will hold a shareholder vote on whether the electric vehicle giant should invest in his artificial intelligence startup, xAI. Responding to a question on social media, Musk...

J.P. Morgan: Generative AI Must Boost IT Workloads by 55% to Offset Cost Deflation

Generative AI is reshaping IT services, but it must drive over 55% more workload to offset significant cost deflation, according to a recent J.P. Morgan report. The brokerage estimates that large language models (LLMs) can...

Google Hires Windsurf AI Talent After OpenAI Acquisition Talks Falter

Google has hired key personnel from AI code-generation startup Windsurf, following failed acquisition talks between Windsurf and rival OpenAI. According to a Google spokesperson, Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder...

UN Urges Global Action to Combat Deepfakes and Misinformation Risks

The United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has called for urgent global action to fight deepfakes and misinformation, citing growing threats of election interference and financial fraud. In a report...