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The Human Sciences Research Council has found that over two-thirds of South African agribusinesses implemented innovative activities from 2019 to 2021, despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges.
The HSRC released its South African Agricultural Business Innovation Survey, which showed that 63.6% of agribusinesses had process innovations, while 38.5% had product innovations.
The survey, which covered animal and crop farming, forestry, and fisheries, was aimed at measuring the extent to which commercial agribusinesses in South Africa introduced new or improved products and business processes.
The HSRC's Dr Yasser Buchana, who led the survey, says these results demonstrate that South African agricultural businesses have shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity, adapting and innovating their way out of the crisis.
He says the survey also showed that agribusinesses employed more people and expanded their market reach.
Innovation-active agribusinesses sold or exported their products or services to diverse markets in South Africa and internationally, with 60,9% of fruit and related crop businesses reporting a presence in the European market.
They also accounted for the highest percentage of those employed in a sub-sector, with 82.4% of employees in the animal and crop farming subsector working in innovation-active businesses, 69.8% in fisheries, and 59.1% in forestry.
