Half a decade of drought across most of South Africa has had a myriad of negative consequences, including small towns in crisis, food imports for the first time in over 20 years, and the hampering of the government's planned land redistribution programme.
It's the cost of food in an economic downturn that has been the immediate effect. But hidden from view is a growing social crisis as farmers retrench their workforce and the new class of black commercial farmers has been rocked by the drought. Also hidden from many is the effect on small towns across the north of the country in particular, which are now reporting business closures, growing unemployment and social instability.
Emerging farmers struggling
According to emerging black farmers, the record high temperatures and dry conditions of the last few years have led to an upsurge in bankruptcy cases. While some have managed to take out loans to fund the capital-intensive commercial farming requirements, others aren't so lucky. Even large-scale commercial farmers are now unable to service their debt.
"It's terrible, terrible, terrible," said African Association of Farmers' business development strategist, Thomas Pitso Sekhoto. "Now it's going to be worse because of the winter, there's no food at all, we didn't even plant in the last season. It's a cruel twist of fate, it's affected us badly. Those who bought land for themselves as black farmers, those who took out bonds, it's going to be tough," he said. "It's a serious setback to black farmers in South Africa - there's no future if things are going to go like this."
Limited support
Agriculture development specialists say support for the sector has been limited. The largest agricultural organisation in South Africa, AgriSA, has reported that its office has been inundated with calls for drought relief assistance. Over 3,000 emerging farmers (most of whom are black) and nearly 13,000 commercial farmers have received drought assistance.
Government ploughed millions of dollars into a drought relief programme early in 2016. But the support dried up in February.
Business in small towns in the North West province and parts of the Free State are shuttering with reports that up to 20 percent of all small businesses closed their doors in the first quarter of 2016.
