Minister of Agriculture (South Africa)

Minister in the Cabinet of South Africa

Minister of Agriculture
Flag of South Africa
Incumbent John Steenhuisen since 3 July 2024
Department of Agriculture
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Cyril Ramaphosa
Inaugural holder	Louis Botha
Formation	30 June 2024
Deputy	Rosemary Capa

The minister of agriculture is a minister in the Cabinet of South Africa since 2024, when the corresponding department was split from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It holds the political executive responsibility for the Department of Agriculture, and for the Agricultural Research Council, the National Agricultural Marketing Council, Onderstepoort Biological Products, the Perishable Products Export Control Board, and Ncera Farms.

The agriculture portfolio was created in the 2024 cabinet reorganisation after the re-election of President Cyril Ramaphosa as part of the government of national unity. The current minister of agriculture is John Steenhuisen.

List of ministers

In the past, several other ministerial posts and portfolios included, or were exclusively responsible for, agriculture. The following is a historical list of these posts' official titles and their corresponding office holders.

Agriculture, 1910-1933

	Term		Party
Louis Botha	31 May 1910	28 June 1912	SAP	Louis Botha (I) (II)
J.W. Sauer	28 June 1912	24 July 1913
Louis Botha	1913	1913
H.C. van Heerden	1913	20 March 1920
F.S. Malan	20 March 1920	8 February 1921	SAP	Jan Smuts (I) (II)
Deneys Reitz	8 February 1921	19 June 1924	SAP	Jan Smuts (I) (II)
Jan Kemp	19 June 1924	17 May 1933	NP	J.B.M. Hertzog (I) (II)

Agriculture and forestry, 1933-1948

	Term		Party
Jan Kemp	1934	1935	UP	J.B.M. Hertzog (III) (IV)
Deneys Reitz	1935	18 May 1938
W.R. Collins	18 May 1938	17 July 1943
W.R. Collins	18 May 1938	17 July 1943		Jan Smuts (takes office after Hertzog resignation)
J.G.N. Strauss	17 July 1943	26 May 1948	UP	Jan Smuts (III)

Agriculture, 1948-1958

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	Prime Minister
	S.P. le Roux		26 May 1948	16 April 1958	HNP		D.F. Malan (I) (II)

Water affairs and agricultural technical services, 1958-1966

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	Prime Minister
	P.K. le Roux		16 April 1958	30 March 1966	NP		Strydom (I)
	P.K. le Roux		16 April 1958	30 March 1966	NP		Hendrik Verwoerd (takes office after Strydom's death)

Agriculture and water affairs, 1966-1968

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	Prime Minister
	J.J. Fouché		30 March 1966	10 April 1968	NP		Hendrik Verwoerd (II)
	J.J. Fouché		30 March 1966	10 April 1968	NP		B.J. Vorster (takes office after Verwoerd's death)

Agriculture, 1968-1981

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	Prime Minister
	D.C.H. Uys		10 April 1968	1972	NP		B.J. Vorster (I) (II) (III)
	Hendrik Schoeman		1972	29 April 1981	NP		B.J. Vorster (I) (II) (III)

Agriculture and fisheries, 1981-1982

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	Prime Minister
	Pietie du Plessis		29 April 1981	1982	NP		P.W. Botha (I)

Agriculture, 1982-1991

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	President (since 1984)
	J.J.G. Wentzel		1982	6 September 1989	NP		P.W. Botha (I) (II)
	Jacob de Villiers		6 September 1989	1991	NP		F.W. de Klerk (I)

Agriculture and development, 1991-1994

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	President
	Kraai van Niekerk		1991	10 May 1994	NP		F.W. de Klerk (I)

Agriculture, 1994-1996

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	President
	Kraai van Niekerk		10 May 1994	1996	NP		Nelson Mandela (Government of National Unity)

Agriculture and land affairs, 1996-2009

Main article: Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs

	Term		Party
Derek Hanekom	1996	14 June 1999	ANC	Nelson Mandela (Government of National Unity)
Thoko Didiza	14 June 1999	22 May 2006	ANC	Thabo Mbeki (I) (II)
Lulama Xingwana	22 May 2006	9 May 2009		Thabo Mbeki (I) (II)
Lulama Xingwana	22 May 2006	9 May 2009		Kgalema Motlanthe (takes office after Mbeki resigns)

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries, 2009-2019

Main article: Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (South Africa)

	Term		Party
Tina Joemat-Peterson	9 May 2009	24 May 2014	ANC	Jacob Zuma (I) (II)
Senzeni Zokwana	24 May 2014	29 May 2019	ANC	Jacob Zuma (I) (II)
Senzeni Zokwana	24 May 2014	29 May 2019	ANC	Cyril Ramaphosa (Feb 2018–)

Agriculture, land reform and rural development, 2019-2024

Main article: Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	President
	Thoko Didiza		29 May 2019	13 June 2024	ANC		Cyril Ramaphosa

Agriculture, 2024-present

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	President
	John Steenhuisen		3 July 2024	Incumbent	DA		Cyril Ramaphosa

References

"DAFF Structure" (PDF). Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Retrieved 9 October 2009.

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