The shape of demand for high-level agricultural skills in the South African labour market

Figures & data

Table 1: Number of workers with degrees diplomas and certificates by field of study (agriculture and nature conservation) and monthly income

Field of study			Number of workers by income categories			Total number of workers in employment*
			R2501–R8000	R8001 or more	Other*
	All fields	N (000)	925	594	487		2006
LFS 2004		%	46.1	29.6	24.3	100
March	Agriculture and	N (000)	19	14	9	42
	nature conservation	%	45.2	33.4	21.4	100
*Includes ‘Don't know’, ‘Refused’ and ‘Unspecified income’.
Source: Labour Force Survey, March 2004 (StatsSA, 2004).

Table 2: A schematic model of the agriculture-related activities in South Africa

Table 3: Demand for agricultural qualifications in the provincial departments of agriculture (September 2005)

Province	Total staff	Staff with agricultural qualifications			Job descriptions
		Total demand	% filled	% vacant
Gauteng	83	45	44.5	55.5	Agricultural scientists
					Agricultural technicians
Western Cape	812	135	68.1	31.9	Industrial technicians
Eastern Cape	*	*	*	*	Animal health technicians
					State veterinarians
Northern Cape	315	**13	*	*	Veterinary technologists
Mpumalanga	1861	221	83.3	16.7	Agricultural economists
					Soil scientists
Free State	1260	109	88.1	11.9	Farm managers
KwaZulu-Natal	3798	***(738)	*	*	Environmentalists
					Biometricians
North West	2019	390	80.0	20.0	Laboratory managers
Limpopo	5614	983	83.8	16.2	Rural development practitioners
*Information not available.
**Total number of people with agricultural qualifications employed at present. Data on vacancies was unavailable and thus it was not possible to calculate total demand for such skills.
***Total number of people with intermediate to high-level qualifications as defined by the Skills Plan, including all agricultural qualifications.

Table 4: Government demand for animal health personnel

Service	Veterinary posts			Technical posts			Border and redline posts
	Filled	Vacant	Total	Filled	Vacant	Total	Filled	Vacant	Total
National	17	32	49	23	22	45	0	0	0
Provincial	148	80	228	951	308	1259	248	0	248
Laboratory	20	17	37	81	38	119	0	0	0
Total	185	129	314	1055	368	1423	248	0	248
Percentage	59%	41%	100%	74%	26%	100%	100%	0%	100%
Source: NDA, 2005.

Table 5: Demand for agricultural qualifications among staff at agricultural colleges and universities with departments of agriculture (September 2005)

Tertiary education institution	Province	Staff with agricultural qualifications		Vacancies for staff with agricultural qualifications
		Teaching	Management	Funded	Unfunded
Elsenburg College	Western Cape	24	5	0	5
University of Stellenbosch		54	0	0	0
Cape Peninsular University of Technology		6	0	2	0
Fort Cox College		16	6	2	0
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University	Eastern Cape	9	0	0	0
University of Fort Hare		17	1	0	12
Grootfontein College	Northern Cape	57	6	3	30
Cedara College		16	2	3	0
Owen Sithole College		18	2	3	0
University of KwaZulu-Natal	KwaZulu-Natal	60	0	1	2
Mangosuthu Technikon		10	1	1	0
University of Zululand		10	0	0	5
Glen College		13	1	2	2
University of the Free State		62	1	0	0
Central University of Technology	Free State	5	1	0	0
Potchefstroom College		20	4	4	0
Taung College	North West	11	3	2	1
North West University		50	0	9	10
Tshwane University of Technology		44	1	0	0
University of Pretoria	Gauteng	48	0	0	0
University of South Africa		12	0	0	2
Lowveld College	Mpumalanga	17	3	2	3
Madzivhandila College		23	3	4	0
Tompi Seleka College		20	1	17	0
University of Limpopo	Limpopo	37	1	0	0
University of Venda		42	0	0	0
		701	38	55	72
		739		127
Totals		866

Table 6: Requirements for agricultural qualifications in national parastatal organisations

Parastatal organisation	Total permanent employment	Employees with agricultural qualifications	Vacancies for agricultural qualifications
			Funded	Unfunded
Agricultural Research Council (ARC)	2670	734	20	0
South African Land Bank (SALB)	650	35	3	0
National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC)	21	5	0	0
Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB)	332	257	2	0
Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP)	206	*	0	0
South African Veterinary Council (SAVC)	6	0	0	0
Totals	3885	1031	25	0
*Specific information unavailable. However, individuals with agricultural qualifications are used only as a substitute for the demand for veterinary technicians.

Table 7: Employment of agricultural qualifications at the ARC

Positions requiring agricultural qualifications	Numbers employed	Qualification range
Research technicians	244	NDip (Agric)
	129	BAgric/BSc (Agric)
	79	BSc (Hons) (Agric)
Researcher	137	MSc Agric
Senior researcher and specialists	145	PhD
Total agric skills employed	734
Total ARC employment	2670

Table 8: Examples of employment of persons with agricultural qualifications at R&D departments, entities affiliated to industry associations or NGOs

Research body	Numbers of people with agricultural qualifications	Range of qualifications
Pannar Seed (R&D Division)	60	While research technicians may have qualifications in the BSc/BTech range, the majority of researchers are at MSc, PhD or postdoctoral levels.
SA Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI)	59
Citrus Research Institute	21
Syngenta SA (Seed and Crop Protection R&D Division)	16
Capespan-Experico	15
Beyer Crop Science (R&D Division)	15
Deciduous Fruit Producers' Trust (R&D Arm)	9
ASNAPP (Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural African Plant Products)	5

Table 9: Numbers of agricultural economists in four large banking institutions

Banking institution	Total number of agricultural qualifications	Positions occupied	Range of qualifications
Standard Bank	52	Agricultural Advisors	Agricultural Economic plus a range from NDip Agric to MSc Agric with additional finance/commerce qualifications
ABSA	37	Trainees Relationship
Land Bank	35	Managers, Provincial
First National Bank	31	Managers, Head Office

Table 10: Employees with agricultural and horticultural qualifications at four large South African retailers

Retail organisation	Agricultural qualifications	Qualifications required
Woolworths	19	BTech/BSc Agric (Plant Production)
Shoprite-Checkers	10	BSc Horticulture
Spar	7
Pick'n Pay	5

Table 11: Demand for agricultural qualifications in producer associations and organisations

Organisation or association	Total permanent employment	Agricultural qualifications
Capespan	315	95
South African Sugar Association	1000	82
National Wool Growers Association of SA	32	25
South African Cane Growers Association	42	14
Grain SA	25	9
Deciduous Fruit Producers Trust	22	6
National Emergent Red Meat Producers Organisation	10	4
Cape Wools	6	2
Dry Bean Producers Organisation	6	1
Feed Manufacturers Association of SA	2	0
SA Plant Breeders Association	0	0

STATSSA (STATISTICS SOUTH AFRICA) . 2004 . Labour force survey, March 2004 database Pretoria, SA

 Google Scholar

NDA (NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE) . 2005 . “ Findings from research commissioned by the NDA into the numbers of filled and vacant government positions for animal health staff ” . Pretoria Unpublished summary document

 Google Scholar