AGRICULTURE remains one of the most important pillars of South Africa’s economy, supporting food security, rural livelihoods, and export earnings. However, the sector is increasingly operating under pressure from climate volatility, with recent floods across parts of the country once again exposing the vulnerability of farming infrastructure, livestock, and production cycles.
In South Africa, that connection has become impossible to ignore.
For the farming community, this is a lived reality unfolding season by season.
According to Caesar Balona, head of risk intelligence & engineering at Old Mutual Insure, the agriculture sector is experiencing a structural shift in risk patterns driven by climate change.
“Farmers are no longer dealing with isolated weather events. What we are seeing is a sustained increase in climate variability, more intense rainfall events, prolonged drought cycles, heat stress on crops and livestock, and infrastructure damage that compounds over time.”
He adds that recent flooding events have highlighted how quickly capital investment on farms can be disrupted.
“When extreme weather hits, the impact is rarely confined to a single area. It affects production, infrastructure, transport routes, livestock systems, and water management simultaneously. Recovery is therefore not linear, it is systemic, and often far more complex than anticipated,” he says.
This requires a stronger emphasis on risk intelligence, early warning systems, diversified farming practices, infrastructure maintenance, and financial preparedness, all working together as part of a broader resilience strategy.
Because of this systemic complexity, Old Mutual Insure says it is actively investing in and pursuing public-private partnerships (PPPs) to mitigate physical risk. A key example of this is the company’s support of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF): a collaborative initiative alongside other industry players to fund rapid-response aerial firefighting, protecting vital farming assets from catastrophic wildfire damage.
“Our internal climate-risk modelling also helps to inform, guide and enhance these initiatives, ensuring that interventions are targeted where they can have the greatest impact,” Balona adds.
He says that resilience is not a single intervention, but a combination of planning, protection, adaptation, and collaboration across multiple parts of the agricultural value chain.
Balona emphasises that the long-term sustainability of the sector will depend on coordinated action between farmers, the private sector, and the government.
“No single stakeholder can address these risks alone. Farmers bring production expertise and land stewardship. The private sector contributes risk analysis, capital support, and innovation. And the government provides infrastructure, regulation, and policy direction. When these elements are aligned, resilience becomes achievable at scale,” he explains.
His main message to the agricultural community is one of continuity and responsibility. “Farming is generational. It is built over decades of investment, resilience, and commitment. But climate risk does not respect that timeline,” he says.
“Our focus at Old Mutual Insure is to provide the stability and risk intelligence that helps protect that legacy.
“Ultimately, safeguarding agricultural infrastructure and operations isn’t just about managing daily business risks; it is about supporting the long-term food security of the country.”
