Wandile Sihlobo, whose book Finding Common Ground will be published by Pan Macmillan in April 2020, has shared some words of caution in light of the coronavirus epidemic.

Sihlobo is perfectly positioned to provide a well-rounded, accessible view of agriculture in South Africa. He spent his school holidays in the rural Eastern Cape, studied agricultural economics at university, has worked in private-sector agriculture, consulting with farmers across the country, and has been an adviser to government as part of South African policy making bodies.

Available to pre-order now, Finding Common Ground is a selection of key articles from Sihlobo’s regular Business Day column, framed with insightful commentary and context.

The launch of Finding Common Ground, which was set to take place in April, has been cancelled until further notice.

In line with the announcement by President Ramaphosa to limit the impact of the COVID-19 virus and to protect citizens, we’ve cancelled the launch for my upcoming book – FINDING COMMON GROUND – which was scheduled for April 7, 2020 at Exclusive Books in Hyde Park. 1/

— Wandile Sihlobo (@WandileSihlobo) March 16, 2020

 

But the book will be available in stores, online, and as an ebook from 1 April:

 

The book will, however, be available from April 1, 2020 (eBooks and print book in stores nationwide). 2/

cc @PanMacmillanSA pic.twitter.com/XpTzIPZ7A6

— Wandile Sihlobo (@WandileSihlobo) March 16, 2020

Meanwhile, Sihlobo has shared some words of wisdom on the current shortages in stores that have been occurring in South Africa, as people began bulk-buying and stockpiling groceries and essentials this week:

There have been questions of whether South Africa could experience food shortages in the near- to medium-term amid COVID-19. From a national perspective, I doubt this would be the case, at least for most basic food products. 1/

— Wandile Sihlobo (@WandileSihlobo) March 16, 2020

South Africa is an agriculturally endowed country, generally a net exporter of agricultural and food products. What’s more, there are prospects for an abundant harvest of staple grains and fruit this year, which will increase the local supplies this year. 2/

— Wandile Sihlobo (@WandileSihlobo) March 16, 2020

Therefore, the readiness of the domestic food supply chains will perhaps be the ones to be tested in the coming weeks if panic-buying continues.

Essentially, panic-buying while understandably caused by extreme times we live in, could cause more disruptions in the food supply. 3/

— Wandile Sihlobo (@WandileSihlobo) March 16, 2020

Categories Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Finding Common Ground Pan Macmillan SA Wandile Sihlobo