How machinery is driving agriculture forwards in Africa

Jaco Beyers, managing director of Africa Middle East at John Deere, speaks to Janine Ryan about the trends in machinery and agriculture in Africa.

- Janine Ryan

OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, MACHINERY SALES HAVE SEEN A BOOM. DO YOU EXPECT THIS TREND TO STAGNATE IN THE NEAR TERM IN AFRICA?

The short answer is no. However, this depends on where in Africa you’re looking. In South Africa, for example, the past year saw the sale of 9 000 tractors, the highest in 40 years. Thus, from a South African perspective, it is likely that we have hit a ceiling, and will see a downward trajectory from now on.

However, in the rest of Africa, the upward trend is expected to continue. In Ethiopia, for example, the average sales of tractors over the past 10 years have been around 300 units. In 2022, Ethiopia saw the sale of 1 200 tractors.

Many governments in Africa are pushing the drive towards agriculture. This means that the sale of machinery and equipment here is likely to increase rather than decrease. Geopolitical tension, such as the Russia-Ukraine war in Eastern Europe, has also resulted in governments moving towards more protectionist policies to safeguard food security.

Another reason for the increase in sales is due to initiatives supported by the private sector. For example, John Deere has been collaborating with provincial governments in some countries in Africa to support agricultural development through the use of the contracting model over the past few years.