General information: Stats SA publishes approximately 300 different statistical releases each year. It is not economically viable to produce them in more than one of South Africa's 12 official languages. Since the releases are used extensively locally and by international economic and social-scientific communities, Stats SA releases are published in English only. Stats SA has copyright on this publication. Users may apply the information as they wish, provided that they acknowledge Stats SA as the source of the basic data wherever they process, apply, utilise, publish or distribute the data; and also that they specify that the relevant application and analysis (where applicable) result from their own processing of the data.

The Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) is a South African government initiative designed to enhance agricultural development, particularly for smallholder farmers. It provides financial and technical assistance to support various aspects of agricultural production, including infrastructure, training, marketing, and access to information.

Key features of CASP include:
Target Beneficiaries:
CASP focuses on supporting smallholder farmers, land reform beneficiaries, farm workers, and small agribusinesses, including women and youth in agriculture.

Six Pillars of Support:
The program is structured around six key pillars:
On and off-farm infrastructure and production inputs: This includes support for building and improving infrastructure like irrigation systems, storage facilities, and providing essential inputs like seeds and fertilizers.
Targeted training, skills development, and capacity building: CASP provides training programs to enhance farmers' skills in areas like crop production, livestock management, and business management.
Marketing and business development: The program assists farmers in accessing markets for their produce and developing business plans to improve profitability.
Information and knowledge management: CASP provides access to relevant agricultural information and resources, including market information, best practices, and technical advice.
Technical, advisory, and regulatory services: This includes access to expert advice on various agricultural practices, as well as assistance with navigating regulations related to farming.
Financial services: CASP aims to improve access to financial resources for farmers, potentially through partnerships with financial institutions.

Promoting Sustainable Practices:
A key objective of CASP is to promote sustainable agricultural practices that ensure long-term productivity and environmental stewardship.

Improving Food Security:
By supporting increased agricultural production and efficiency, CASP contributes to improved food security for the targeted communities and the nation as a whole.

Provincial Implementation:
The program is implemented by provincial departments of agriculture, working in collaboration with various stakeholders, including the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD).

The Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) is a South African government initiative designed to enhance agricultural development, particularly for smallholder farmers. It provides financial and technical assistance to support various aspects of agricultural production, including infrastructure, training, marketing, and access to information.

Key features of CASP include:
Target Beneficiaries:
CASP focuses on supporting smallholder farmers, land reform beneficiaries, farm workers, and small agribusinesses, including women and youth in agriculture.

Six Pillars of Support:
The program is structured around six key pillars:
On and off-farm infrastructure and production inputs: This includes support for building and improving infrastructure like irrigation systems, storage facilities, and providing essential inputs like seeds and fertilizers.
Targeted training, skills development, and capacity building: CASP provides training programs to enhance farmers' skills in areas like crop production, livestock management, and business management.
Marketing and business development: The program assists farmers in accessing markets for their produce and developing business plans to improve profitability.
Information and knowledge management: CASP provides access to relevant agricultural information and resources, including market information, best practices, and technical advice.
Technical, advisory, and regulatory services: This includes access to expert advice on various agricultural practices, as well as assistance with navigating regulations related to farming.
Financial services: CASP aims to improve access to financial resources for farmers, potentially through partnerships with financial institutions.

Promoting Sustainable Practices:
A key objective of CASP is to promote sustainable agricultural practices that ensure long-term productivity and environmental stewardship.

Improving Food Security:
By supporting increased agricultural production and efficiency, CASP contributes to improved food security for the targeted communities and the nation as a whole.

Provincial Implementation:
The program is implemented by provincial departments of agriculture, working in collaboration with various stakeholders, including the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD).

The Zimbabwean Diaspora in South Africa has an estimated 2.5 million people. This population:
• Has little to no prospects of ever returning to their home to Zimbabwe
• Has limited access to financial services
• Has limited participation in the South African economy

uXpress SACCO Society was formed to find solutions to these and other problems facing the diaspora while creating a community that leverages its numbers to access group discounts, supplier credit and increased sales revenues.

Rules of Origin are the guidelines used to determine where a product truly comes from. When countries form trade agreements, such as those under SADC or the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), they often agree to reduce or remove taxes on goods traded between them. However, these tax benefits are only meant for products that are genuinely made within the member countries. Rules of Origin help customs officials decide if a product qualifies for this special treatment by checking how and where it was made.

For example, if a cooperative in Zimbabwe grows, harvests, and packages oranges, those oranges are clearly Zimbabwean and would qualify for duty-free entry into South Africa under SADC rules. But if the same cooperative imports ready-made clothes from China and simply sells them in South Africa, those clothes wouldn’t qualify, because they weren’t made or significantly changed in Zimbabwe.

Sometimes products are made from raw materials that come from different countries. If a cooperative imports fabric from another country but cuts, sews, and designs it into clothing locally, it may still qualify as a Zimbabwean product, because enough transformation took place. The key is whether the processing adds value and changes the product into something new.

Understanding and applying Rules of Origin helps cooperatives avoid unexpected taxes and remain competitive in the regional market. These rules also protect local industries by preventing foreign goods from entering under false labels. By ensuring their products meet the necessary criteria, cooperatives can take full advantage of free trade agreements and expand into new markets more easily.