Connecting South African agriculture to local and global markets
🌍 South Africa · SADC Region
From Farm Gate to Market
Agri-Next Connect connects primary agricultural production to commercial supply chains — driving wealth creation, job opportunities, and food security across South Africa and the SADC region.
Agribusiness and market development connect primary producers to consumers, driving wealth creation and food security. Agri-Next Connect positions smallholder and emerging farmers at every link — from input supply to export markets.
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Input Supply
Seeds, fertiliser, equipment, finance
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Production
Smallholder, cooperative & commercial farms
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Processing
Agro-processing, packing & value-adding
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Distribution
Logistics, cold chain, market linkages
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Markets
Retail, export, institutional buyers
Our Core Focus
Three pillars of agribusiness development
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Market Access & Linkages
Connecting small-scale producers of fresh produce, fruits, and nuts with local retailers and international export markets — ensuring technical and certification compliance throughout.
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Business Development & Support Schemes
Collaborating with government and financial institutions to provide funding access, technical assistance, and capacity building for historically disadvantaged enterprises.
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Value Chain Integration
Strengthening both upstream and downstream linkages — from seeds and equipment through to food processing, packaging, and retail — keeping South African agriculture globally competitive.
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Digital & Climate-Smart Agribusiness
Advisory on precision agriculture, digital traceability, climate-risk planning, and regenerative transitions — helping producers meet the data and sustainability standards now shaping export and retail markets.
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Why Market Development Matters
Integrating emerging farmers into commercial supply chains
South Africa's agricultural transformation depends on connecting smallholder and emerging producers to markets that deliver fair returns. Agri-Next Connect bridges that gap — from business linkage facilitation to export readiness and AfCFTA market strategies.
Market linkage facilitation with formal retailers and exporters
Export compliance: phytosanitary, SPS, and food safety advisory
AggriBEE and B-BBEE compliance support for enterprises
Cooperative governance and strategic positioning
Business plans for Land Bank, IDC, DBSA, and DTIC funding
Specialist agribusiness consulting — built on extensive progressive experience
Pretoria · South Africa
Our Mission
Mission Statement
To deliver specialist agribusiness and market development consulting that empowers farmers, cooperatives, agro-processors, and enterprises to make evidence-based decisions — improving profitability, securing investment, accessing markets, and contributing to a transformed and competitive agricultural economy.
Who We Are
Agricultural economics expertise rooted in practice
Agri-Next Connect is a Pretoria-based specialist consulting group with a network of professional agricultural economists and associates. We combine leading international knowledge — drawn from national government, international development agencies, and academic research — with a deep understanding of South African agricultural realities.
Our focus on agribusiness and market development means every engagement is oriented toward a practical outcome: improved market access, better enterprise economics, and viable pathways to commercial sustainability for our clients.
Our Values
01
RigourEvery deliverable is grounded in sound economic methodology and professional integrity.
02
RelevanceWe ground our work in the practical realities of South African and SADC agricultural contexts.
03
TransformationWe are committed to the inclusion of historically disadvantaged producers in commercial agricultural opportunities.
04
AccessibilityWe deliver in the language of our clients — English, isiXhosa, isiZulu, and more.
Core Focus Area
Agribusiness & Market Development
Agribusiness and market development connect primary agricultural production to consumers — driving wealth creation, job opportunities, and food security. In South Africa, this means integrating smallholder farmers into commercial supply chains, promoting export growth, and facilitating sustainable business models for emerging enterprises.
Business plans meeting development finance standards
AfCFTA
Continental market access advisory
Land Bank IDC · DBSA
Business plans meeting DFI standards
6
Languages of service delivery
Key Focus Areas
What we do in agribusiness & market development
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Market Access & Linkages
Connecting small-scale producers of fresh produce, fruits, and nuts with local retailers and international export markets. We ensure technical and certification compliance throughout — from GlobalGAP to phytosanitary standards.
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Business Development & Schemes
Collaborating with government and financial institutions to provide funding access, technical assistance, and capacity building for historically disadvantaged enterprises. We navigate DTIC, DAFF, and provincial grant schemes.
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Value Chain Integration
Strengthening both upstream linkages (seeds, equipment, fertilisers) and downstream linkages (food processing, packaging, retail) to keep South African agriculture globally competitive and sustainable.
We work across South Africa's key agricultural sectors
🥑 Avocados
🍊 Citrus
🌰 Macadamias
🍇 Table Grapes
🌽 Maize & Grain
🥦 Vegetables
🐄 Dairy
🐂 Beef & Livestock
🍎 Deciduous Fruit
🌰 Nuts
🌿 Herbs & Spices
🏭 Processed Foods
Not listed here? We serve any agricultural commodity — contact us to discuss your specific product and market.
Is Your Enterprise Ready?
Tell us about your venture
The best next step depends on your commodity, your market ambitions, and your stage of development. To discuss how we can help, a few details make all the difference:
Your CommodityFresh produce, nuts, grain, livestock, processed products?
Your MarketLocal retail, formal trade, or export ambitions?
Your StageStart-up, scaling, or entering new markets?
Specialist agribusiness, market development, and agricultural economics consulting
Service Area 1
Market Access & Business Linkages
Agri-Next Connect's market access service connects small-scale producers of fresh produce, fruits, and nuts with formal retail and export channels. We handle the technical and certification pathway alongside commercial matching.
Producer–Buyer Linkage Facilitation
Formal retail buyer identification and approach strategy
Commodity aggregation and grading scheme advisory
Cooperative supply chain positioning
Off-take agreement advisory and negotiation support
Market intelligence for target commodity and region
Compliance & Certification Pathways
GlobalGAP and HACCP compliance advisory
Phytosanitary certificate preparation
Food safety management system design
Organic and fair-trade certification roadmaps
Retailer code-of-practice alignment
AggriBEE & Transformation Support
B-BBEE scorecard advisory for agri-enterprises
AggriBEE compliance assessment
Preferential procurement strategy for cooperatives
A complete picture of where value is created, captured, and lost across the agricultural supply chain. Agri-Next Connect maps commodity value chains from producer to consumer — identifying bottlenecks, integration opportunities, and market development strategies.
Value Chain Mapping & Analysis
End-to-end commodity value chain mapping
Actor identification and margin analysis
Farm-to-retail price spread analysis
Input cost monitoring and benchmarking
National agro-food chain intelligence publications
The financial and economic engine behind sound agribusiness decisions — from feasibility and business plans to production cost analysis and strategic planning for farms, cooperatives, and agro-processors.
Financial Planning & Analysis
Feasibility studies (full financial modelling)
Business plans — farm, cooperative, agro-processing
Agro-processing is the critical link between raw commodity production and market-ready products. Agri-Next Connect provides end-to-end advisory for enterprises looking to establish or grow processing operations — from milling and abattoirs to fruit packaging and dairy processing.
South Africa's agricultural exports are a major growth frontier — and AfCFTA opens the continent. Agri-Next Connect provides export readiness, trade compliance, and international market access strategy grounded in direct experience with SADC, AU, WTO, and FAO frameworks.
Export Readiness & Compliance
Export readiness assessment
Phytosanitary and SPS compliance planning
Food safety certification advisory
Country-specific import/export requirements
Trade Framework Navigation
SADC trade protocol guidance
AfCFTA opportunity identification and strategy
Rules of origin compliance
WTO and FAO standard navigation
International Market Access Strategy
Target market selection and prioritisation
Buyer identification and approach strategy
Brand positioning for export markets
Trade mission preparation and facilitation
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Certifications Held
✓ FAO: Achieving Market Access for Plants & Plant Products
International-standard M&E frameworks for food security, market development, and agricultural innovation programmes — drawing on direct experience across Sub-Saharan Africa.
M&E Framework Design
Results framework and logic model development
Indicator selection and data collection system design
Baseline assessment and target-setting
Reporting templates and monitoring systems
Impact Evaluation & Research
Propensity score matching (PSM)
Difference-in-differences (DiD) analysis
Household and farm-level survey design and analysis
Food security assessments and monitoring
Policy brief and ministerial briefing development
Data Analysis & Systems
R and Python data pipeline development
STATA and SPSS econometric analysis
GIS-based spatial analysis for agricultural programmes
Digital tools and climate pressures are reshaping what "market-ready" means. Retailers and export buyers increasingly expect traceability data and climate credentials alongside price and quality. Agri-Next Connect helps producers, cooperatives, and agro-processors adopt the technologies and practices that keep them competitive, bankable, and resilient.
Digital Agriculture Advisory
Precision agriculture and farm management software readiness assessments
Digital traceability system design for export and retail compliance
Satellite and drone-based land and crop assessments
Farm and cooperative data dashboards for production and financial monitoring
Climate-Smart Agriculture
Climate risk and vulnerability assessments
Water-use efficiency and irrigation business cases
Climate-resilient enterprise and crop selection planning
Weather index insurance facilitation
Regenerative Agriculture Transition
Soil health diagnostics and monitoring programme design
Business case development for regenerative transitions — cover cropping, reduced tillage, agroforestry
Carbon farming and soil carbon credit facilitation
Regenerative and sustainability certification advisory
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Engagement
Custom Quote
Digital/climate readiness assessment or regenerative transition business case (4–8 weeks)
Practical agribusiness and market development training — delivered in your language
Training Programmes
Building agricultural capacity that lasts
Agri-Next Connect has developed practical training programmes on essential agribusiness and market development topics for cooperative members, emerging farmers, extension officers, and management. All training is delivered in the trainee's preferred language and is grounded in practical application rather than generic classroom content.
Field-based training session with cooperative members — practical, hands-on, and delivered on-site.
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Agribusiness & Market Linkages
Practical training on how agricultural value chains work and how emerging producers can access formal markets.
Value chain actors and their roles
Accessing formal retail and export buyers
How margins are distributed across the chain
Direct selling vs intermediary trade-offs
Market compliance and certification basics
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Farm Financial Management
Financial literacy for cooperative members and emerging farmers — establishing the foundation of sound enterprise management.
Basic financial record-keeping and bookkeeping
Reading and interpreting financial statements
Cash flow planning and management
Understanding production cost budgets
Farm profitability analysis
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Business Planning for Agriculture
Equipping farmers and cooperatives to engage meaningfully with feasibility studies and funding applications.
How to read and interpret a feasibility study
What funders look for in a business plan
Enterprise budgeting and gross margin analysis
Break-even analysis and sensitivity concepts
Preparing for a funding institution engagement
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Commodity Markets & Price Risk
Understanding how agricultural commodity markets work and managing price risk at the farm level.
How commodity prices are determined
Reading and interpreting price trend data
Understanding farm-to-retail price spreads
Basic price risk management concepts
Using market intelligence in farm decisions
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Cooperative Governance & Management
Governance and strategic management training for cooperative board members and management teams.
Cooperative governance principles
Balanced Scorecard for cooperatives
Strategic planning for cooperative boards
Member relations and dispute resolution
AggriBEE and B-BBEE awareness
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Export Compliance & Trade Standards
Practical export readiness training for farmers and agro-processors targeting formal export markets.
Understanding phytosanitary requirements
Food safety certification pathways
Documentation for export transactions
SADC and AfCFTA trade basics
Organic and fair-trade certification overview
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Delivery Languages English · isiXhosa · isiZulu
Half / Full Day
Flexible formats tailored to your schedule
R4K–R9K
Per training session Group rates available
Business Plans & Feasibility Studies
Investment-grade documents that secure funding and guide enterprise development
Our Studies by Category
Built to meet DFI standards
Our feasibility studies and business plans meet the due diligence requirements of South Africa's major development finance institutions — Land Bank, IDC, DBSA, and government grant programmes.
A selection of engagements demonstrating our agribusiness and market development capabilities
Agri-Next Connect engages in projects across South Africa and the SADC region — spanning market linkage facilitation, feasibility and business plan development, value chain analysis, M&E programme design, and agro-processing advisory for cooperatives, government departments, and development agencies.
Market Linkages
📍 South Africa — Multiple Provinces
Producer–Retailer Linkage Facilitation
Market access strategy and buyer linkage facilitation for emerging fresh produce cooperatives targeting formal retail channels and export markets.
Agro-Processing
📍 South Africa · SADC Region
Agro-Processing Enterprise Development
Enterprise feasibility studies and value chain positioning for grain milling, fruit processing, and meat processing enterprises seeking investment from DFIs.
Cooperatives
📍 South Africa — Multiple Provinces
Agricultural Cooperative Transformation
Business planning, AggriBEE compliance, strategic planning, and Balanced Scorecard implementation for emerging agricultural cooperatives.
Market Intelligence
📍 South Africa — National
National Market Intelligence Publications
Development of national agro-food chain intelligence including input cost monitoring, farm-to-retail price spread, and food cost review publications.
Export
📍 SADC · AfCFTA Region
Export Readiness & Trade Advisory
Export readiness assessments, phytosanitary compliance planning, and international market access strategy for South African agricultural producers.
M&E
📍 Sub-Saharan Africa
M&E Frameworks for Agricultural Programmes
Design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation frameworks for food security and agricultural market development programmes funded by international agencies.
Meet the Team
Senior specialists assembled for each project's unique requirements
Agri-Next Connect maintains a network of vetted senior agricultural economists and specialist associates. Our mission is to streamline access to top-tier agribusiness consulting — assembling project-specific teams that bring together the depth and breadth each assignment demands, regardless of scale or duration.
Thulani Ningi
Agricultural Economist (PhD · M.Agric Econ)
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Associate Specialist
Agronomist & Horticulturist (M.Sc. Agronomy)
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Associate Specialist
Animal Scientist (B.Sc. Hons Animal Science)
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Associate Specialist
Rural Development (As required per project)
Our Associate Network Model
Agri-Next Connect maintains a network of vetted specialist associates across agronomy, animal science, agricultural engineering, and rural development. When a project requires multi-disciplinary input beyond our core agricultural economics specialism, we assemble a project-specific team — ensuring that every client receives both specialist depth and integrated advisory. All associate engagements are coordinated and quality-assured by the principal consultant.
Contact Details
We respond within one business day — let's discuss your agribusiness goals
Get in Touch
Whether you need a market access strategy, a feasibility study, a value chain analysis, or a business plan for a funding application — the first step is a conversation.
