Commodity prices are set to remain elevated, with the global index projected to rise 23 percent in 2026 before declining 7 percent in 2027.
After ten years of new factories, award medals and summit declarations, we found no African-owned chocolate brand with global mass-market reach.
But one distinction matters from the outset: Heineken has not announced that it is selling Nederburg, JC Le Roux or any of its other South African wine brands.
Signs of a heave-ho power struggle in the hallowed halls of South African wine officialdom are emerging, and if the potential consequences were not so severe, a bowl of butter popcorn and a glass of cool, brisk Chardonnay could be procured to watch the show. But hold that thought, as it ain’t pretty for any wine producer or anybody concerned about the reputation and status of the country’s wine industry.
A rise in bread prices can put a government under pressure. A rice shortage can trigger emergency imports. A soybean tariff can redirect billions of dollars in trade.
National headlines are warning of a hot, dry summer as El Niño takes hold into 2027.
