# 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.
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 | Term | 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 | SAP | Louis Botha (I) (II) |
| Louis Botha | 1913 | 1913 | SAP | Louis Botha (I) (II) |
| H.C. van Heerden | 1913 | 20 March 1920 | SAP | Louis Botha (I) (II) |
| F.S. Malan | 20 March 1920 | 8 February 1921 | SAP | Jan Smuts (I) (II) |
| Deneys Reitz | 8 February 1921 | 19 June 1924 | SAP | Jan Smuts (I) (II) |
| Jan Kemp | 19 June 1924 | 17 May 1933 | NP | J.B.M. Hertzog (I) (II) |

### Agriculture and forestry, 1933-1948

| Name | Term | Term | Party | Prime Minister |
| Jan Kemp | 1934 | 1935 | UP | J.B.M. Hertzog (III) (IV) |
| Deneys Reitz | 1935 | 18 May 1938 | UP | J.B.M. Hertzog (III) (IV) |
| W.R. Collins | 18 May 1938 | 17 July 1943 | UP | J.B.M. Hertzog (III) (IV) |
| W.R. Collins | 18 May 1938 | 17 July 1943 | UP | 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 | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | Prime Minister | 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 | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| | P.K. le Roux | | 16 April 1958 | 30 March 1966 | NP | | Strydom (I) |
| | P.K. le Roux | | 16 April 1958 | 30 March 1966 | NP | | Hendrik Verwoerd (takes office after Strydom's death) |

### Agriculture and water affairs, 1966-1968

| Name | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| | J.J. Fouché | | 30 March 1966 | 10 April 1968 | NP | | Hendrik Verwoerd (II) |
| | J.J. Fouché | | 30 March 1966 | 10 April 1968 | NP | | B.J. Vorster (takes office after Verwoerd's death) |

### Agriculture, 1968-1981

| Name | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| | D.C.H. Uys | | 10 April 1968 | 1972 | NP | | B.J. Vorster (I) (II) (III) |
| | Hendrik Schoeman | | 1972 | 29 April 1981 | NP | | B.J. Vorster (I) (II) (III) |

### Agriculture and fisheries, 1981-1982

| Name | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| | Pietie du Plessis | | 29 April 1981 | 1982 | NP | | P.W. Botha (I) |

### Agriculture, 1982-1991

| Name | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | President (since 1984) | 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 | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | President | President |
| | Kraai van Niekerk | | 1991 | 10 May 1994 | NP | | F.W. de Klerk (I) |

### Agriculture, 1994-1996

| Name | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | President | President |
| | Kraai van Niekerk | | 10 May 1994 | 1996 | NP | | Nelson Mandela (Government of National Unity) |

### Agriculture and land affairs, 1996-2009

| Name | Term | 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 | ANC | Thabo Mbeki (I) (II) |
| Lulama Xingwana | 22 May 2006 | 9 May 2009 | ANC | Kgalema Motlanthe (takes office after Mbeki resigns) |

### Agriculture, forestry and fisheries, 2009-2019

| Name | Term | 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 | 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

| Name | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | President | President |
| | Thoko Didiza | | 29 May 2019 | 13 June 2024 | ANC | | Cyril Ramaphosa |

### Agriculture, 2024-present

| Name | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | President | President |
| | John Steenhuisen | | 3 July 2024 | Incumbent | DA | | Cyril Ramaphosa |