During the Nation in Conversation event at Nampo 2026 on 14 May, the discussion pivoted around one key question: Is agriculture using its narrative to drive real impact, or is the focus still only on discussing an issue without driving real outcomes?
The facilitator of the discussion was Anlie Hattingh, well-known content producer, presenter, and former news anchor with extensive experience across media platforms.
The panel members were Dr Mpumelelo Mkhabela, political analyst; Helena Wasserman, editor of News24 Business; Prof Johann Kirsten, professor of agricultural economics and director of the Bureau for Economic Research; Nick Serfontein, chairman of the Sernick Group, one of South Africa’s leading integrated beef enterprises and Agricultural Writers SA National Farmer of the Year in 2019; Wandile Sihlobo, South Africa’s presidential envoy on agriculture and land and chief economist at Agbiz. Sihlobo was also Agricultural Writers SA National Agriculturist of the Year in 2018.
Consolidating fragmented messages
This discussion moved beyond storytelling and focused on driving agendas, developing strategies, leadership, and accountability. The panel not only compared notes on how agriculture can actively shape perceptions, influence policy, and drive growth by using its voice with greater intent and coordination, but also deliberated on ways to consolidate fragmented messages.
One of the aspects the panel agreed on is that the agriculture sector must demand a seat at the table to ensure that the sector can direct the conversation and also demand governance and accountability from parties within the sector, but also from strategic partners.
One of the challenges at present is that various segments and subsectors within agriculture often have different or diverse opinions on events and topics. Kirsten noted that is crucial to consolidate messages with a view to transition them into action.
“Sometimes it is necessary to have one consolidated voice,” he said.
Kristen added that communication is not always directed outwards, but often between parties in the industry. “The question must be: What do we want the message to be and what do we want to achieve? Then we must determine how the voice of agriculture can help to achieve what we set out to achieve.”
It comes back to what, how, when, where and why of a message, Kirsten pointed out, and added that messages can be influenced by political, ideological, and practical drivers.
“Preparing your message is important. You have to plan your message according to the audience – that is the only way to ensure that you are able to convey your message to your target audience.”
According to Kristen, industry needs to determine if they are saying the right things to the right people at the most opportune time. “We must ask ourselves if we are communicating in the right way.”
He also pointed out that very often communication was used to drive a certain agenda, and that was the reason behind the fragmentation of messages.
Every challenge should not be a crisis
According to Wasserman, agriculture often weakens its own message by framing every challenge as a crisis.
“People are getting fatigued by constantly hearing and reading about the one crisis after the other. Sometimes it feels as if we get stuck into the habit of telling negative stories. People love positive stories, and we must all learn to share those stories. We also need to show where opportunities are embedded through our storytelling,” Wasserman said.
Referring to truthfulness, Wasserman pointed out that agriculture is a business of numbers, and that this also relates to reporting. “We always check the story against the numbers to get closer to the truth.”
Sihlobo warned that communication is often used to score points within the political arena.
“We must learn how to filter messages. Before we communicate, we must ask ourselves: What is the actual message and what is in the public interest? Communication is an important tool for shaping perceptions.”
Mkhabela voiced his concern about the focus on a certain part of a message while ignoring or omitting the other part of the story.
“The narrative around land reform has been built around giving certain people land, but the other definition about making communal land productive again has been neglected and thus forgotten.”
Serfontein said there are many positive stories in the agriculture sector that genuinely make a difference, but that negative stories often carry the same weight.
The panel agreed that agriculture needs to improve when it comes to sharing stories of progress, innovation and hope, while still engaging honestly regarding the sector’s challenges.
One example raised during the discussion was the contrast between industries within agriculture itself. While the citrus industry experiences an exceptionally strong year, red meat producers face severe pressure because of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks.
The session concluded with a call for more constructive engagement between agriculture, the public and policymakers. The panel agreed that a holistic approach to communication is needed within the context of truth, trust, and accountability.
Equally important is that the right stories need to reach the right audiences and that conversations like those taking place at Nation in Conversation remain important because they create space for informed, balanced and meaningful discussions about the future of agriculture.
