Minister of Agriculture (South Africa)

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.^[1]

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 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

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	Prime Minister
	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
	Jan Kemp		19 June 1924	17 May 1933	NP		J.B.M. Hertzog (I) (II)

Agriculture and forestry, 1933-1948

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	Prime Minister
	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
							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)
							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)
							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

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

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	President
	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
							Kgalema Motlanthe (takes office after Mbeki resigns)

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries, 2009-2019

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

Name		Portrait	Term		Party	President
	Tina Joemat-Peterson		9 May 2009	24 May 2014	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