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 Willie Aucamp, who was appointed on 30 June 2026.
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 NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister Louis Botha 31 May 1910 28 June 1912 SAP Louis Botha 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 Deneys Reitz 8 February 1921 19 June 1924 Jan Kemp 19 June 1924 17 May 1933 NP J.B.M. Hertzog
Agriculture and forestry, 1933-1948 NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister Jan Kemp 1934 1935 UP J.B.M. Hertzog Deneys Reitz 1935 18 May 1938 W.R. Collins 18 May 1938 17 July 1943 Jan Smuts J.G.N. Strauss 17 July 1943 26 May 1948 UP Jan Smuts
Agriculture, 1948-1958 NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister S.P. le Roux 26 May 1948 16 April 1958 HNP D.F. Malan
Water affairs and agricultural technical services, 1958-1966 NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister P.K. le Roux 16 April 1958 30 March 1966 NP Strydom Hendrik Verwoerd
Agriculture and water affairs, 1966-1968 NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister J.J. Fouché 30 March 1966 10 April 1968 NP Hendrik Verwoerd B.J. Vorster
Agriculture, 1968-1981 NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister D.C.H. Uys 10 April 1968 1972 NP B.J. Vorster Hendrik Schoeman 1972 29 April 1981
Agriculture and fisheries, 1981-1982 NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister Pietie du Plessis 29 April 1981 1982 NP P.W. Botha
Agriculture, 1982-1991 NamePortraitTermPartyPresident J.J.G. Wentzel 1982 6 September 1989 NP P.W. Botha Jacob de Villiers 6 September 1989 1991 NP F.W. de Klerk
Agriculture and development, 1991-1994 NamePortraitTermPartyPresident Kraai van Niekerk 1991 10 May 1994 NP F.W. de Klerk
Agriculture, 1994-1996 NamePortraitTermPartyPresident Kraai van Niekerk 10 May 1994 1996 NP Nelson Mandela
Agriculture and land affairs, 1996-2009
NamePortraitTermPartyPresident Derek Hanekom 1996 14 June 1999 ANC Nelson Mandela Thoko Didiza 14 June 1999 22 May 2006 ANC Thabo Mbeki Lulama Xingwana 22 May 2006 9 May 2009 Kgalema Motlanthe
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries, 2009-2019
NamePortraitTermPartyPresident Tina Joemat-Peterson 9 May 2009 24 May 2014 ANC Jacob Zuma Senzeni Zokwana 24 May 2014 29 May 2019 ANC Cyril Ramaphosa
Agriculture, land reform and rural development, 2019-2024
NamePortraitTermPartyPresident Thoko Didiza 29 May 201913 June 2024 ANC Cyril Ramaphosa
Agriculture, 2024-present NamePortraitTermPartyPresident John Steenhuisen 3 July 202430 June 2026 DA Cyril Ramaphosa Willie Aucamp 30 June 2026Incumbent
References