Rapid transformation in South African beef chains: A case study of the North West Province

The livestock revolution that transformed livestock value chains in developed countries is also transforming the value chains in developing countries. The animal sourced food revolution is correspondingly apparent with a rapid transformation in animal livestock chains as South African diets changed, incomes rose and the population urbanised. In the past two decades overall meat and egg consumption per person increased by 50% with 25% increases in beef, 55% in pork and 95% in chicken consumption respectively. In response to increased consumption the transformation in the South African beef chain is almost exclusively a domestic revolution which now extends regionally to include input supplies, particularly of weaners and feed ingredients, to feed the system to supply beef to South Africa’s largely urban consumption zones. This study has two distinct findings: One, the transformation of the South African beef chain has occurred rapidly and extensively with a doubling in the extent of the total beef value chain, increasing concentration of primary production, the emergence and rise of an intensification phase in the midstream, a geographical reorganization of the upstream, midstream and downstream of the system and a tripling in the extent of the retail and food service segments in the past three decades. Two, the change is multi-dimensional with an evolution in the structure, conduct and performance of the chain combining to effect the transformation through growth and concentration of the activities and actors across the chain, commercialization and spatial elongation in the chain and technical, product cycle and industrial organizational changes.