-
12 March 2010The Congo ventures are not core businesses to be based in the Congo but instead, extensions of businesses located in South Africa
-
8 March 2010SilverStreet Capital aims to raise $100m to buy farms in South Africa growing produce including corn, wheat, soya beans, fruit and tea. It will also target aquaculture.
-
2 March 2010Minister says new policy proposal will put the restriction of foreign land ownership in South Africa back on the table, as foreigners are buying lands "three times faster" than government is acquiring for redistribution and restitution
-
25 February 2010A new land deal allowing South African farmers to produce livestock, milk and fruit in Libya has been put on hold pending the finalisation of an investment protection agreement between the two countries.
-
4 February 2010At least three or four private equity funds are currently raising capital with a mandate to invest in agricultural enterprises in Africa.
-
19 January 2010Accaparement des terres - le cas de l'Afrique du Sud - par AGTER
-
7 January 2010The much-discussed Congo land-lease, granting 200,000 hectares to South African farmers with a further 10 million hectares in the balance, appears to mark a departure from the usual terms underpinning foreign acquisition of fertile land by multinationals
-
![Farmers sample what Libya offers]( "Farmers sample what Libya offers")
9 November 2009De Jager is worried about Libya’s record in enforcing contracts with foreign companies, and the lack of social support networks. “There’s a lot of money to be made for someone with balls,” he says.
-
7 November 2009Sime Darby Bhd, which owns 220,000ha of oil palm estates in Liberia, plans to strengthen its presence on the African continent and is eyeing more land in Cameroon, Congo and South Africa. The expansion is part of a long-term strategy to double planted areas to one million hectares and be nearer to the growing markets of Europe and the US.
-
![SA to assist Libya to revive farming]( "SA to assist Libya to revive farming")
2 November 2009The delegation hopes to conclude an agreement with the Libyan government that sets out commercial terms, including investment protection, tenure security and incentives.
-
![Green light for new pastures]( "Green light for new pastures")
30 October 2009De Jager is most excited about an impending Agri SA fact-finding mission to Libya at the invitation of President Muammar Gaddafi. "If we succeed there, we can succeed anywhere in Africa."
-
![Congo farmland deal welcomed]( "Congo farmland deal welcomed")
22 October 2009The Congolese government said it had signed similar agreements with China, Brazil and Israel.
-
![Agricultores sudafricanos satisfechos de acuerdo agrícola con República Congo]( "Agricultores sudafricanos satisfechos de acuerdo agrícola con República Congo")
21 October 2009El ministro de agricultura congoleño, Rigobert Maboundou, dijo que este acuerdo forma parte de un Plan de Acción de su Gobierno para consolidar la agricultura como un pilar de su economía y que, además de este pacto, el mayor de este tipo firmado en África, tienen otros similares con China, Brasil e Israel.
-
![Congo hands land to South African farmers]( "Congo hands land to South African farmers")
21 October 2009There has been criticism of the deal in France, pointing out that Denis Sassou-Nguesso, the Congolese president, is widely considered to be severely corrupt. But de Jager believes such attacks are motivated by a desire to protect French [farm export] interests against competition.
-
21 October 2009Peter Ndoro spoke to Dr Yao Graham, coordinator of Third World Network-Africa, a development agency, asking whether these deals really transfer technical expertise to locals.
-
21 October 2009"The motivation for South African farmers is simple," said Theo de Jager, Agri SA's deputy president, who helped negotiate the deal. "One in four farms must be redistributed in the next four or five years. So for new entrants into the sector and for those farmers who want to expand there is nowhere to go."
-
21 October 2009Can these deals benefit Africa? Have you been affected by one of these land deals? Should countries be leasing fertile land to foreign investors? Join a live BBC debate on 21 October 2009.
-
21 October 2009South Africa has signed a deal with the Republic of Congo that will give SA farmers access to up to 10 million ha of farmland, the country's biggest farmers' union said on Tuesday.
-
![South Africa will get crop land from Congo Republic]( "South Africa will get crop land from Congo Republic")
20 October 2009“The deal has been finalized and they have made land available free of charge,” Agri SA said. There’s no restriction on exports. The only condition is that the land is used.
-
20 October 2009Congolese officials say the land is made up of abandoned farms that the state used to operate.