South Africa
South Africa is one of the most diverse and enchanting countries in the world. Exotic combinations of landscapes, people, history and culture offer a larger-than-life experience for the traveler in search of a truly unique and inspiring experience. South Africa really is a whole world in one country. European city life, western culture, modern health care, a well maintained network of roads and a functioning economy are combined with the ancient beauty of the nature and traditional culture of the African continent, which never fails to enchant us with its unique wealth of plants and animals.
South Africa has an essentially dual agricultural economy, comprising a well-developed commercial sector and a predominantly subsistence-oriented sector in the rural areas. Only about 13% of South Africa's surface area can be used for crop production, of which just 22% can be classified as high-potential land. Some 1,3 million hectares (ha) are under irrigation.
The most important factor limiting agricultural production is the availability of water. Rainfall is distributed unevenly across the country, with almost 50% of water being used for agricultural purposes.
Primary agriculture contributes about 2,6% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of South Africa and almost 9% of formal employment. However, there are strong backward and forward linkages into the economy, so that the agro-industrial sector is estimated to comprise 15% of GDP. For the past five years, agricultural exports have contributed on average approximately 8% (7% in 2001) of total South African exports.
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