The Use of Advanced Technology in South African Agriculture: Insights from selected subsectors

The use of advanced technologies in South African commercial agriculture has a long history. Digital technologies have been acknowledged as a potentially revolutionary way to boost the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural production systems. The South African agricultural sector is a significant contributor to the country’s export earnings, food security and employment. In the era of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) and other digital technologies, the South African agricultural sector could benefit from more intensive digitalisation, such as precision agriculture and climate smart agri-food systems that balance the shifts in demand preferences and sustainable supply. This study analyses the patterns, drivers, constraints and sustainability implications of advanced technology adoption in the South African agricultural sector. Using in-depth interview data, we generate evidence-based insights into the dynamics of advanced technology adoption and diffusion. We use the ‘technology-organisation-environment’ and the ‘technology acceptance model’ to analyse the implications of advanced technology adoption and diffusion for productivity, skills and labour needs in selected agricultural sub-sectors, with a specific emphasis on the citrus production sub-sector. We find that factors such as perceived usefulness, economies of scale, complementary technological infrastructure and access to finance play an important role in enabling precision agriculture technologies. For the citrus sector, additional factors – such as market requirements and harvest optimisation – appear to be key drivers of automation technology in the packhouses. The economies of scale and the adoption challenges faced by smallholder farmers underscore the importance of coordinated policy and the role of affordable complementary infrastructure in fostering inclusive technology diffusion. Policies aimed at stimulating the adoption and diffusion of precision agriculture technologies will need to factor all these findings into their deliberations, and align them with long-term development strategies.