Public Sector Leaders

The agricultural sector has an ambitious and unifying vision through the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP) launched in May 2022. Indeed, the AAMP is imperfect, and some aspects were contested during its drafting stages. This is expected given the breadth of social partners involved in crafting it. Still, most social partners, such as the business community, government, and labour, agreed that the AAMP offers a framework to grow the agriculture and agro-processing sector, build competitiveness, attract more investment, improve inclusion, and create jobs.

In a progressive workplace, parental leave is a crucial factor which supports the welfare of families and employees. Shared parental leave is gradually gaining recognition across Africa, however many countries still lack paid paternity leave. The global average according to the World Economic Forum stands at 21 days compared to 191 days for maternity leave. According to the Top Employers Institute, parental leave refers to time allocated to parents to take care of their new infant or newly adopted child, for the purpose of parents balancing personal and professional responsibilities.

South Africa launched its trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) with the first shipment dispatched at the start of the year. This follows the publication in the Government Gazette of the terms under which South Africa will participate in the new free trade agreement.