, food prices in South Africa are poised to soar in the coming decade. This is due to the impacts of climate change and infrastructure challenges.
Anita Calitz, BDO South Africa’s director, warns, “The risk of ‘Day Zero’ becomes more real with each passing day. So do the prospects of increased water restrictions and compromised water quality.”, South Africa’s unique infrastructure challenges further exacerbate the potential for food shortages and price hikes.
Consequently, this could lead to operational disruptions, increased costs, and potential revenue losses for businesses.Although South Africa’s power supply has improved recently, sporadic outages persist due to inadequate municipal distribution infrastructure. These disruptions compound the challenges posed by water shortages and climate change, further threatening food prices and security.The combination of climate change impacts and infrastructure challenges points to higher costs and constrained supply of key agricultural commodities in the coming years.