Agriculture & Land-Based Work
Agricultural Economics
Studies agricultural markets, food systems, pricing, and policy to support better decisions across farming and agribusiness.
Short insight
You enjoy work that feels economics, agriculture, analysis and you can handle the trade-offs that come with it.
- Usually suits people who want desk work.
- The role tends to feel balanced across the week.
- This path usually asks for 3 years of study or training.
- One of the real pressures is that it can be the path can feel abstract.
1. What this job is
Studies agricultural markets, food systems, pricing, and policy to support better decisions across farming and agribusiness.
2. What daily life feels like
Analysing markets, modelling farm or food-system decisions, reviewing policy effects, and helping organisations understand agricultural economics.
3. Why someone might enjoy it
You enjoy work that feels economics, agriculture, analysis and you can handle the trade-offs that come with it.
- Useful blend of markets and food systems
- Good fit for analytical people drawn to agriculture
- Can connect farming realities with policy and business
4. What may be difficult
- The path can feel abstract
- Entry roles are not always obvious
- Progress often depends on sector specialisation
5. Market reality
A simple picture of what this path tends to feel like in the market: how earnings usually grow, how reachable the path is, and how steady it may feel over time.
Mid: medium
Long-term: medium
6. Paths into the role
Agricultural economics degree
Builds economics, food-system, and agricultural-market foundations for farm, policy, and agribusiness analysis work.
Mathematics, economics, and geography are usually helpful.
7. Possible support routes
Funding route
NSFAS
Funding support for qualifying students at public universities and TVET colleges.
Coverage: Tuition and selected living costs for eligible learners.
Best for: Public study pathways with household income limits.
Availability depends on the institution and eligibility rules.
Funding route
Employer bursary or internship
Companies sometimes sponsor scarce-skill study or internship entry routes.
Coverage: Varies by employer and can include fees, mentorship, or practical exposure.
Best for: Business, finance, tech, and industrial pathways.
Competition is high and openings are uneven across sectors.
Funding route
Merit bursary
Academic or portfolio-based funding from institutions and private organisations.
Coverage: Partial or full fee support depending on performance.
Best for: Degree, diploma, and design-oriented pathways with strong results.
More realistic for students with strong marks or standout portfolios.
8. Where to study in South Africa
These are official South African directories and provider lists, split into online or distance options and campus or in-person routes.
Campus and in person
Study directory
South African public universities
Official DHET directory of public universities and universities of technology across South Africa.
Study directory
Registered private higher education institutions
Official register of private institutions that are allowed to offer higher education qualifications.
9. Where to ask about funding
These are public or official starting points that line up with this path. Some are broad, some are very specific, and most open and close on their own annual cycles.
Funding contact
NSFAS
The main national public funding route for many students at public universities and TVET colleges.
Funding contact
DHET international scholarships
Official DHET portal for scholarships, exchanges, and study opportunities outside South Africa.
Funding contact
Institution financial aid offices
Many public and private institutions run their own bursaries, merit awards, hardship funds, and payment support offices.
10. Nearby options to compare
11. Official evidence
Agricultural economics is broader than one occupation in the current DHET source set, so the evidence anchors it to economist and agricultural-business-adjacent taxonomy rather than a single narrow title.
This pathway is currently supported by official occupation taxonomy rather than South African occupations-in-demand evidence.