South Africa

Sudan is seeking to attract at least $1bn of capital for its agricultural sector from Arab and Asian investment groups, which are turning to Africa in search of new food supplies as their governments try to manage the impact of commodity price inflation.

Le projet -- un partenariat entre Illovo Sugar, entreprise sud africaine, et le gouvernement malien -- concerne l'aménagement d'une zone irriguée de 14,132 ha pour la création des plantations de la canne à sucre

Standard Bank plans to finance more land deals involving South African farmers seeking expansion opportunities across the continent to grow export crops, the bank said on Friday.

A South African farmers group said on Friday it had received fresh offers from African states, including Sudan and Mozambique, to invest in agriculture to grow export crops and some of the deals will be concluded soon.

Un bail de 50 ans, renouvable pour 50 ans, portant sur 19 254 ha au Mali.

“We plan to have invested $1bn in farms within five years,” says Petrus du Toit of Ridge Solutions, which is acquiring farmland in Angola with backing from foreign investors.

African nations are increasingly turning to South Africa to improve their own agricultural production and skills, according to industry group Agri SA.

South Africa, which became a net importer of food two years ago after two decades of net exporting, is developing African agricultural ambitions of its own.

"Local businessmen make deals with foreign investors and convince tribal authorities in the area to give them land, but the water from the river is not just for people to take," says Water Affairs Under Secretary A. Nehemia who had not been informed about the farm.

At a recent conference in Cairo, South Africa and Zimbabwe were the only African nations not considered safe havens for foreign farmland investment because of uncertainty about land-reform programmes and unfriendly labour environments.

Under the new policy, foreign land ownership would be tied to “productivity and partnership models with South African citizens,” minister Gugile Nkwinti told parliament.

Two South African asset management firms launched a 3 billion rand farmland investment fund on Wednesday that is expected to help boost agricultural development in Africa's biggest economy.